Caught on Camera

National park weather can be as exciting as it is unpredictable. Powerful storms and stunning rainbows appear suddenly and vanish just as fast, providing an unforgettable scene for anyone lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time, and a real challenge for anyone trying to capture it on film. If nothing else, these national park photos of amazing weather will convince you to bring a camera on your next national park adventure!

Nathaniel Gonzales, Share the Experience

You can see for miles at Bryce Canyon National Park. On this particular day, a passing storm is dwarfed by the immense sky and wide-open landscape. 

Amy Hudechek

They say you can never actually reach the end of a rainbow, but one lucky photographer at Colorado National Monument got pretty close.

Ben Pelta Heller, Share the Experience

Heavy storms occasionally bring much-needed rain to the parched landscape of Utah's Arches National Park, where this incredible picture of two simultaneous lightning strikes was taken.

Joy Scarola, Share the Experience

The sun sinks down as a storm rolls in at Crater Lake National Park, offering only a brief glimpse of a sunset while the storm clouds gather.

Ben Pelta Heller, Share the Experience

A complete half-rainbow stretches across the desert of Arches National Park, made all the more dramatic thanks to the setting sun. 

Richard Briggs, Share the Experience

Rain in the desert is a beautiful thing, bringing sudden wildflower blooms to life, giving desert animals much-needed hydration, and offering an opportunity to take extraordinary photographs like this one at Canyonlands National Park. 

Megan Matthews, Share the Experience

Badlands National Park is a photographer's dream subject under any conditions — it's simply a beautiful place — but the dramatic meeting of these clouds makes it downright otherworldly. 

Kathy Pool, Share the Experience

Every good rain storm ends with a rainbow, and in this case, a departing storm blessed Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with two of them. 

Greg Clure, Share the Experience

Unique lighting conditions create a remarkable scene at Death Valley National Park: The desert floor is illuminated by the rising sun while the sky above remains darkened by storm clouds. 

Judit Fabian

Devil's Tower National Monument looks like something from another planet to begin with, but it's made all the more eerie by rippling waves of clouds at sunset. 

Taking great national park photos is easy, but capturing the weather is a different matter altogether. Keep an eye on the forecast next time you head out into our national parks, and don't forget to have your camera ready!