Rare Spring in the Desert

While the desert is often known for its harsh dryness, every so often a rare combination of storms, snowpack, and runoff creates incredible photographic opportunities. This spring delivered several of those moments across Nevada and California, from snow-covered red sandstone outside Las Vegas to waterfalls flowing in Utah and even a temporary lake returning to Death Valley.

These events don’t happen often, and when they do, they’re usually short-lived. Timing, weather patterns, and a bit of luck all come into play. I’m very excited to share three of these special moments I was able to capture this season.

Red Rock Canyon Snowfall

After moving to Vegas, Red Rock Canyon quickly became my backyard. Scrambling up mountains in the cool air and exploring the unknown is part of my weekly routine. That being said, snow is not what most people associate with Red Rock. Even though it sits at a slightly higher elevation than the city, it typically doesn’t get cold enough to hold snow, especially compared to nearby Mount Charleston, which regularly keeps snow into late spring.

This year, however, a rare winter storm system pushed cold air low enough into the valley to allow snow to accumulate across even the lowest elevations of Red Rock Canyon. I had been watching the forecast closely and headed out at sunrise the morning it hit, knowing it wouldn’t last long. The contrast of bright red sandstone coated in fresh white snow was surreal, and incredibly short-lived. Within just a couple of hours after sunrise, most of the snow in the lower Calico formations had already melted, while higher elevations held onto it for a few days. Events like this only happen a handful of times each decade, and when they do, you have to move fast.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from that experience:

Aerial View of Calico 1 & 2

It was a very windy morning for my new DJI Mavic 4 Pro - but it was 100% worth it. Views like this would be very difficult to capture without a drone, given the slickness of the snow on the rock.

Aerial View of Turtlehead Peak

Turtlehead Peak, the shark-fin shaped peak in the background, always pops in a composition. I loved the hazy clouds making it stand out even more, paired with the swirling snow patterns on the red rock in the foreground.

Red Rock from Cowboy Canyon

Even the region lower down across from Red Rock, Cowboy Canyon, had some snow in the first morning. This shot highlights the main Rainbow Montains with Cowboy Canyon in the foreground.

Scenic Loop Overlook

I had to go through the Scenic Loop while I could, which was proven difficult as the snow was SO bad that they actually CLOSED the loop to traffic for a couple of days. But I managed to get out there and enjoy the snow on the ground.

Sunset at Mount Wilson

The Middle Oak Creek trail hikes you directly towards the stunning Mount Wilson. This region was one of the last to hold snow, so I did a beautiful sunset shoot here.

Calico Basin Road

This stunning road winds its way towards Turtlehead Peak, again making a beautiful subject. Even more so with the uniqueness of snow!

Death Valley Super Bloom + Lake Manly

Next is a two-for-one event, and one of the most well-known desert phenomena in the world. Death Valley is famous for its “super blooms,” which occur when a very specific set of conditions align: significant rainfall (usually from winter storms), mild spring temperatures, and low wind. While wildflowers bloom in the desert every year to some extent, a true super bloom, where vast areas of the desert floor are covered in dense, colorful flowers, typically happens once every decade, sometimes even less frequently.

At the same time, another rare event was unfolding at Badwater Basin. Normally the lowest point in North America is a vast, cracked salt flat, but during exceptionally wet winters, rainfall and runoff from surrounding mountains can temporarily flood the basin, creating what is known as Lake Manly. This ephemeral lake can persist for weeks or even months depending on evaporation rates.

Experiencing both of these events together is extremely rare. The reflective water of Lake Manly combined with the surrounding desert landscape, and nearby wildflower blooms, made for one of the most unique photographic opportunities I’ve ever seen in Death Valley.

Here are some of my favorite shots:

Death Valley Super Bloom

I will admit, the Super Bloom is tricky to photograph. The fields are endless, but they are NOT as dense as you would think. So you find yourself either doing detail shots or showing thin fields. I was really wanting to capture the vibe of Death Valley with the flowers. Shots like this make it feel colorful and dense while showing off the mountains.

Pink Flowers at Sunset

There were quite a variety of flowers to find. While the yellow flowers were the most common, I really loved these low growing pink flowers against the sand at sunset. Just be careful, it turns out these are a bit poisonous (like poison ivy)! No touchy!

Yellow on Purple

I was really happy with this composition, highlighting the yellow flowers on a purple-flower background.

Colorful Hills

This gives you the best sense of the experience, at the most dense patch we found. Sandy hills, pink and yellow fields, with mountains in the background. What more can you want?

Lake Manly

Lake Manly is also a tricky subject to capture, as it is just a lake and you want to capture what makes it special. The clear reflections are a great place to start.

Light Painting on Lake Manly

We had fun into sunset with a light painting rainbow wand, accenting the reflective lake.

Panoramic Lake Manly Sunset

Last, showcasing the whole lake with a subject on the left at sunset, and mountains on all sides, really gives a great sense of scale.

Devils Golf Course

This popular spot known for harsh and sharp salt formations ALSO managed to have water collecting - unexpected!

Gunlock State Park Waterfalls

Last on the list is Gunlock State Park in southern Utah, home to one of the most underrated desert transformations. At first glance, Gunlock Reservoir looks like a typical manmade lake, but every few years, when winter snowpack is high and spring runoff exceeds the reservoir’s capacity, water begins to spill over the dam.

Instead of a single waterfall, the overflow spreads across the layered red rock terrain below, following natural grooves and channels. The result is a series of cascading waterfalls and streams that feel completely out of place in the desert. These flows are highly dependent on snowpack levels in southern Utah and upstream water management, and they typically only occur during especially wet years, sometimes every few years, sometimes longer gaps in between.

I had been watching conditions here for a while, and as soon as I saw water levels rising, I made the trip out. The contrast of flowing water over red sandstone, something you rarely see in this region, made it absolutely worth the drive.

I hope you enjoy the photos:

Lower Falls

This is one of the first waterfalls you will find on your short hike.

Detail of Upper Falls

This is near the top, where the water first comes down from the dam. I loved the detail on the left as a thin layer of water goes over small cracks and makes mini-falls.

Upper Falls

This is the most dense area of falls, with the hiker/dog at the top being the very top.

Vertical of Upper Falls

It was fun exploring the different areas and find different angles. This is the same spot as the last photo, but detailed on this specific flow featuring 4 waterfalls.

Spring Mysteries

That wraps up my showcase of some of the more unusual things you can experience in the desert when the right conditions come together. These moments are brief, unpredictable, and often require a bit of planning (and luck) to catch, but that’s part of what makes them so rewarding.

Have you ever experienced any of these events, or stumbled across something equally unexpected in the desert? I’d love to hear about it.