This book celebrates heroic landscapes of the American Southwest—what they are, where they are, and how they came to be. It's part travel guide, part primer, part resource directory. And it's also a photographic portfolio drawn from 15 years of work. The content is written and organized so that it can be opened anywhere and easily absorbed by anyone intrigued by the diverse and astounding scenery of the Southwest.

So get ready to travel and to dive beneath the surface of what meets the eye. This means time travel as well as the on-the-road kind. We've endeavored to bring to life a few pages from the history of our planet, an exciting but incomplete record distilled from centuries of scientific inquiry. Come equipped with an active imagination and a certain amount of faith. Who among us, after all, can comprehend the enormity of a million years? A billion? In the well-chosen words of Carl Sagan, "We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever."

Before embarking on this journey, we ask that you consider three things. First, be aware that no scene before you is a finished masterpiece of nature—there is no such thing. While Utah's Delicate Arch, for example, might seem fixed, perfected, and going nowhere, the entire landscape is changing today, just as it always has been. The secret is time, nothing more.

Second, our emphasis here is on process, not place. We want you to discover the excitement of things that many people pass by. This book will guide you to notable scenic attractions in the American Southwest; but look beyond our examples, beyond designated picture stops. Our biggest reward would come from knowing that those who read this book will be able see and appreciate unannounced features of the land that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Third, the territory we cover might come as a surprise. By Southwest, we mean the Greater Southwest, defined more by natural features of desert and canyon country than by political boundaries. Our geographic range extends from northern Mexico to the northern limits of the Colorado Plateau in Utah and Colorado. It runs from California's eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada across the states of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, into western Texas. And where it makes sense, we took the liberty of reaching a little beyond these limits. We also chose to restrict our coverage to landscapes evident above ground—delving into caves could fill another volume.

You'll discover more than geology in these pages. Because rocks shape the ways of living creatures and living creatures in turn shape rocks—both at the mercy of outside forces—we've created a blend of all three. If you wish to dig deeper, flip to our annotated listings in the back, where you'll find a wealth of stimulating books and websites. For travelers, we have assembled seven regional maps, along with an extensive list of scenic attractions packed with earthly wonders.

Enjoy the journey!