Photo of the Day

a lightning bolt and storm clouds over Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, Utah
August 2, 2016

Hot Rock

Spiking from inky storm clouds, a white-hot thunderbolt spears the plateau during a summer storm in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The monument comprises 300,000 unspoiled acres that cross both Arizona and Utah and contain steep cliffs, deep canyons, and sandstone formations.

Rankin’s shot was recently featured in the Daily Dozen.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now >>

Photograph by David Rankin, National Geographic Your Shot

Go Further