Arches National Park

Copyright: National Park Service Arches National Park

Arches National Park protects and preserves the largest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world. This park allows visitors from around the world to experience the contrasts of blue sky and red rock in the extraordinary forms of buttes, canyons, arches and plateaus. The environment is harsh with extreme temperatures and little water, yet many plants and animals have adapted and thrive in the desert.

For many individuals, including myself, the forces of nature that, over an immense span of time, created this landscape are difficult to fathom. Slickrock caps of Navajo Sandstone cover layers of sediment from ancient oceans, shores and deserts. Folds and warps in the layers indicate movement of long-buried salt deposits that formed enormous rocks balanced on thin spires, standing rock fins and cliff walls hundreds of feet high.

Attractions - The major attractions in this park are accessible from the 18-mile, paved park road that leads from the visitor center at the park entrance to the campground at Devils Garden. A few short spur roads, accessible by passenger vehicle, lead to The Windows and Delicate Arch. An eight-mile unpaved road, and nine-mile four-wheel drive road, leads to the less-visited Klondike Bluffs area of the park.

The trail system in Arches National Park is geared to the visitor in a passenger car. Most trails begin from one of the park roads and lead a short distance to an extraordinary natural feature. The longest maintained routes within the park lead to Dark Angel spire and Delicate Arch. Picnicking facilities lie at the visitor center, Balanced Rock and Devils Garden.

Recreation - The climate in the desert region of Utah can be extreme and change quickly. In summer, June through September, temperatures may exceed 100 degrees F. During the winter, December through February, temperatures often drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures may range 50 degrees in a 24-hour period. This is the desert, carry drinking water at all times.

Climate - The climate in the desert region of Utah can be extreme and change quickly. In summer, June through September, temperatures may exceed 100 degrees F. During the winter, December through February, temperatures often drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures may range 50 degrees in a 24-hour period. This is the desert, carry drinking water at all times.

Location - Arches National Park is located in eastern central Utah south of Interstate 70. The park entrance is located on Utah Highway l9l, five miles north of Moab, Utah.