As the California Zephyr crossed the Continental Divide on its way towards Utah, the landscape started to take on a noticably Southwestern style. Instead of rocks being thrust upward at acute angles, the mineral layers were now mostly horizontal.

As before, erosion had a large hand in molding the landscape, this time producing flat plateaus with surrounding mounds of debris. The exposed cliff faces displayed an obvious stratification, whose lines marked the edges of bygone eras.

The color of the landscape also replaced Colorado's yellow and brown hues with a richer orange and red palette. The setting sun enhanced this visage and produced dramatic shadows that accentuated the shapes of the formations.