Checkerboard ___ (Zion National Park landform) (4)
I believe the answer is:
mesa
(Other definitions for mesa that I've seen before include "Flat-topped hill with steep sides, common in the southwestern US" , "Geographical feature" , "In the US south-west, a steep-sided flat-topped hill" , "Flat-topped tableland" , "Flat tableland with steep sides" .)