After a wonderful mid‑day hike partway down into the canyon, we freshened up at camp before heading out to what turned out to be the most photogenic location of our entire three‑day Grand Canyon photography excursion.

This was our third golden hour in a row at the canyon, and the rhythm of composing landscape photos was slowly returning. This, combined with the fact that that evening was the most gorgeous sunset/sunrise we saw during our entire time at the canyon, produced what I feel were the best photos from that trip.

The location was perfect too. Navajo Point. Just down the road from the much more popular Desert View Watchtower overlook, the view was nearly identical—but with far fewer people. And having the watchtower in the distance as a compositional element was an added bonus.

We arrived at Navajo Point just a little before golden hour. Enough time to settle in and not feel rushed, and yet not so early that we were wasting time waiting around for the perfect light. Julianna pulled out the camp chairs, Mordecai played contentedly in the gravel at her feet, and I wandered around looking for calendar shots, returning often to grab a snack, lick an ice‑cream cone, play with Mordecai, or steal a kiss from Julianna. It was close enough to our anniversary that it felt a little like being on our honeymoon again. 🙂

The Main View

The main view at Navajo Point faces northeast across the canyon, and that evening it was breathtaking. The western sky was clear, while a thick blanket of clouds covered the east—perfect conditions for dramatic landscape photography. The foreground glowed with direct golden light, standing in stark contrast to the dark or colorful sky. Below are my favorite photos of the main view as the evening unfolded.

Westward View

As I mentioned earlier, the westward view didn’t differ much from what we saw at the overlook up the road. But again, time of day made a huge impact on what I actually photographed looking in that direction.

My Favorite Foreground Subject

Content with several compositions around where my family was hanging out, I ventured a little further up the rim to see what I could find. And that’s when I found this amazing tree! I kept going back to it as the drama of sunset continued.

After the sun dipped below the horizon, I realized it wasn’t just the clouds to the east and the clear skies to the west that made the evening so extraordinary. Weeks before our trip, we decided not to visit the North Rim because of the devastating Dragon Bravo wildfire. And that evening, for reasons I can only guess were related to stronger winds, the smoke from that fire was far more visible than the night before. It cast an eerie red glow over everything long after the sun set—so I kept shooting!

Other Trees Along the Rim

That one tree had been such a compelling subject that it inspired me to search for others around the Navajo Point area.

Eastward View

With daylight fading quickly, Julianna and Mordecai headed to the parking lot to pack up while I walked to the right side of the Navajo Point overlook to take what I assumed would be the final photos of the evening.

After Dark

It was now quite dark. I walked back to the car, thrilled with what God had let us witness that evening. But when I got back to the car, Julianna pointed to the uncanny red glow on the North Rim. There was no doubt that the fires were burning strong this night. And we both agreed I wouldn’t have an opportunity like this any time soon, so I grabbed my headlamp and returned to the rim once more to document the tragedy that daylight had hidden from sight all day long.

While wildfires can certainly be destructive, they are also a natural and necessary part of many ecosystems—clearing excess fuel, recycling nutrients, and promoting new growth. It’s easy to assume that aggressive fire prevention is the solution, or to blame climate change for the megafires we see in places like western North America and Australia.

But Scripture calls us to take wise dominion of the earth, managing the land in ways that align with how ecosystems naturally function. That includes prescribed burns, responsible building practices in fire‑prone areas, and improved fire‑prediction tools. Wildfire management is both a scientific and spiritual responsibility, and we should all do our part to prevent them as much as we can while we enjoy exploration and outdoor recreation in God’s beautiful creation.

We headed back to our campsite fairly exhausted after a long but eventful day. We had photographed sunrise at the rim, enjoyed devotions in the cool morning sunlight, experienced the desert heat along the Bright Angel Trail, soaked in a stunning sunset, and witnessed the Dragon Bravo wildfire glowing across the gorge.

But our Grand Canyon adventure wasn’t over yet. One more sunrise awaited us. This time, I had the location picked out. It would be another early morning, and we were eager to see what the next day would bring!