Bentonite Hills Of Utah Badlands Stock Image

The Bentonite Hills in Utah are a softly contoured and banded geological feature in varying hues of brown, red, purple, gray, and green. The hills are adjacent to Capitol Reef National Park and are part of what is known as the Utah Badlands. The hills are composed of the Brushy Basin shale member of the Morrison Formation. This layer was formed during Jurassic times when mud, silt, fine sand, and volcanic ash were deposited in swamps and lakes. Bentonite clay (altered volcanic ash) absorbs water and becomes very slick and gummy when wet, making vehicle or foot travel difficult or impossible.