Rainbow Basin Photos Mojave Desert
Photos by Lee Reeder, January 18, 2009

These pictures were taken in Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon 8 miles north of Barstow, California. The basin is notable both for the shapes of its rock formations and its fossil beds, which have provided scientists with valuable information about life during the middle Miocene epoch, between 12 and 16 million years ago. Scientists have found fossils of camels, horses, mastodons and flamingos here.

This massive rock formation sits in the middle of Rainbow Basin.
The two layers of rock to the right remind me of clean and dirty snow.

The photo of this green and red rock formation was taken near Owl Canyon Campground.

There are lots of colors in these formations. This one is in the large bowl in the middle of Rainbow Basin.

This is one of those places where no camera does justice to what you see.

Scale is another problem for the camera in this place. This knifelike ridge at the top is huge. If you look at the top of it about one-quarter of the way from the left you will see a dark spot. That is a man standing there.

Rocks, plants and sky.

The one-way road through the middle of Rainbow Basin is a great scenic drive.

A dead end at colorful 150-foot cliffs.

Photos by Lee Reeder