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Arches National Park
Natural stone arches are scattered across southern Utah's red-rock country. The largest concentration of arches in the world, however, is found near Moab in the 76,000-acre Arches National Park — one of Utah's most popular tourist attractions.
Delicate Arch in the winter.
Johanna Workman, Deseret News |
Within the park's boundaries, nature has produced more than 2,000 rock picture frames ranging from a few feet to several hundred feet in size. The park's geography is the result of millions of years of land movement, which eventually resulted in vertical cracks in the rock. The arches themselves were formed primarily by rain and cold. Rain and snow, freezing in fissures, broke off chips and boulders. Rains, too, helped in the carving process.
To be considered an arch, the formation must have at least a 3-foot opening. The largest of the arches, Landscape, measures 306 feet from base to base. The big draw here is Delicate Arch, perhaps the state's most publicized symbol — the same arch seen on many Utah license plates. Other popular spots in the park are Balanced Rock, Skyline Arch, Double Arch and Fiery Furnace.
Some of the arches can be easily seen from the park roadway and turnouts along the 40-mile roundtrip. To see other arches, however, requires a hike. One of the more popular hikes is the one into Devils Garden, which passes on a 7.2-mile loop some of the other more popular arches, such as Landscape and Double O.
By far the most popular hike is Windows, a one mile or less loop trail that puts three major arches — Turret, South Window and North Window — in close range.
The panoramic views of Arches National Park are breathtaking in all sorts of weather. But winter is a time when visitors can really capture the natural feel of the sandstone wonders without the crowds or overbearing heat of the summer. Between November and February, the average low temperature is 25 degrees. The highs average 51 degrees.
While light snow occasionally falls in Arches and the surrounding area, seldom does it remain on the ground.
Arches hiking trails are usually in good condition year round, even though some of the rock trails do get slippery when wet. Hikers must also be mindful and careful of strong winds during the colder months. The visitors center just inside the park gate updates park conditions daily.
The colder weather also brings out the park's wildlife that usually stays hidden or in the shadows during the warm season. Visitors to Arches during the winter might see deer, coyotes, foxes and rabbits. Occasionally, a lucky few will spot a cougar or bobcat.
Arches was first designated as a national monument in 1929. In 1971 it was converted to a national park. In 1959, the year Arches road and the visitors center first opened, about 60,000 people came to see the arches. Now almost 1 million visit the park each year.
Arches' close proximity to southern Utah's other state and national parks is one reason for its popularity. Canyonlands National Park is only 31 miles away, and Dead Horse Point State Park is about 29 miles to the northwest.
More information is available at Arches' official Web site at www.nps.gov/arch/.
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