USA - Utah, Kodachrome Basin State Park

In 1948 National Geographic explored the region and published some photographs in their edition of September 1949. The area was named “Kodachrome Flat”, after the relatively new brand of Kodak film they had used. In 1962 the state of Utah recognized the area as a state park, albeit under the name “Chimney Rock State Park”, for fear of repercussions from Kodak. A few years later the park was named “Kodachrome Basin State Park”, with the permission of the Kodak Film Corporation.

Kodachrome Basin State Park features a unique landscape with 67 towering monolithic rock spires or chimneys. These sand pipes, or chimney rocks, are believed to be remnants of solidified sediment that filled the ancient geysers that dominated the landscape. Red, brown, white and yellow layers of sediment became exposed as outer layers of Entrada sandstone eroded. Today, these multi-coloured sand pipes range in height from a couple of meters till more than fifty meters (the largest spire is the so called Chimney Rock).

Kodachrome Basin State Park opened to the public as a state park in 1963.