False Kiva
Caynonlands National Park, UT
THE FALSE KIVA
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE FALSE KIVA
The False Kiva is one of the most intriguing locations for landscape photographers in the American Southwest. This mysterious place provides a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime view from inside a potential Anasazi alcove overlooking the Green River canyon and its jaw-dropping horizon. This mesmerizing setting is timeless, peaceful, breathtaking, amazing, and otherworldly.
Each time I visit here, I always ask myself, “How did this happen?” What are the chances of this perfectly shaped alcove, placed in the middle of nowhere, overlooking one of the most stunning vistas in the entire southwest? The Kiva is a ring of stacked rocks about 15 feet in diameter. The “False” part implies it is not a real Kiva (which was a ceremonial worship place for the Anasazi Indians).
Unfortunately, someone vandalized the False Kiva in Summer 2018 with an open fire and graffiti on the red rock walls. Because of this, the National Parks Service has limited access to the alcove that includes the False Kiva. As of March 2019, you can hike to and enter the alcove, but the park service has erected a barrier around the False Kiva.
The False Kiva is a small and fragile location, but receives many visitors each year. I would ask that when you visit, please do your best to preserve all aspects of this location for future visitors and always try to leave it in better shape than when you found it.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH THE FALSE KIVA SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 4 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The hike to the False Kiva is approximately ¾ miles each way and takes about 45 minuets. Even though the trail is not very long, it is not easy to follow and parts of the trail are steep and rocky.
At times the trail vanishes, but is marked sporadically along the way with rock cairns. The middle of the hike goes through a rocky wash and the latter part of the hike has a steep downhill slope with lots of loose rocks and tough spots. The final leg of the hike runs along a tight rocky shelf. To get to the False Kiva, you have to climb a steep dirt trail to the alcove. This hike is doable, but not for everybody.
This is a difficult shot for the following reasons:
The alcove is fairly small (50ft. across x 20ft. deep) with the kiva in the center about 10ft. from the back wall.
There is a protected archaeological area on the left side of the alcove that takes up about a quarter of the space.
During the day, the dynamic range between
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I have seen many images from this location. Most photographers try to go as wide as possible (11-21mm) to capture the whole alcove. I took a different approach and used a 24mm lens for this shot.
5,138 Ft. Elevation
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LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
