Arches National Park

This park contains the world's greatest collection of natural stone arches, more than 2300 of them, according to National Geographic's "Secrets of the National Parks". Also spectacular are the sheer rock walls formed into "fins" and other sculptures called spires, hoodoos, domes and towers.

The formation of this area started with an inland sea 300 million years ago with soft sandstone deposited 150 million years later. For more info visit NPS.GOV.

We visited Arches on Thursday, April 22. We hiked the 1.5 miles to the Delicate Arch, the most famous arch in the Park. The trail is designed to hide the arch until the very end. The hike is moderate, with uphill climbs on rocky slabs. Toward the end it is a little scary. 5 feet wide on a sheer cliff with nothing between you and a tragic death.

The Delicate Arch

The Delicate Arch From a Half Mile Away

Other Spectacular Sights