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Arches National Park is a United States National Park that is in Utah's Canyon Country near the town of Moab. It is home to the world's greatest concentration of natural arches, including the famous Delicate Arch that was seen all over the world during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. This area contains the largest concentration of arches found any where in the world, including the world-famous Delicate Arch as seen on the Utah state license plate, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. In some areas, faulting has exposed millions of years of geologic history.The extraordinary features of the park, including balanced rocks, fins and pinnacles, are highlighted by a striking environment of contrasting colors, landforms and textures.
To many, the most outstanding natural features of Arches are the park's geologic formations. Over 2,000 catalogued arches range in size from a three-foot opening (the minimum considered to be an arch), to Landscape Arch which measures 306 feet from base to base. Towering spires, fins and balanced rocks complement the arches, creating a remarkable assortment of landforms in a relatively small area.
Two unusual natural features common in Arches intrigue both scientists and visitors: cryptobiotic soil and potholes. Cryptobiotic soil is a living groundcover that forms the foundation of high desert plant life.
Potholes are naturally occurring basins or pools in sandstone that collect rainwater and wind-blown sediment. These potholes harbor organisms that are able to survive long periods of dehydration, and also serve as a breeding ground for many desert amphibians and insects. Both of these communities are very vulnerable to human impacts.
The main attractions:
Park Avenue. A relatively easy one mile (one-way) trail located near the park entrance. The trail leads through a steep-walled sandstone canyon with a smooth bottom. Many hikers will get dropped off at one end of the trail and picked up at the other to eliminate the need for a round-trip.
Double Arch. A 0.8 mile roundtrip leads to Double Arch, a massive joining of two arches that will be recognizable from the beginning of the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The trail is very easy and located within walking distance of the Windows. Windows. The North & South Windows, as well as Turret Arch, are located along an easy 1.0 mile roundtrip trail. The Windows is also a popular destination to watch and photograph at sunrise. Wolfe Ranch. Located near the beginning of the Delicate Arch trail, this ranch is a restored homestead of John Wesley Wolfe, who settled in the area in the late 1800s. Delicate Arch. The most famous arch in the park (and perhaps in the world), Delicate Arch can be seen from a roadside turnout, from a short 0.8 mile trail, or you can take the 3.0 mile (roundtrip) trail starting from Wolfe's Ranch, gaining 480 feet of elevation, and stand underneath this natural wonder. The trail to the arch is strenuous; be sure to carry adequate water with you. Note that during peak season you are likely to be sharing the trail with many people; visiting at sunrise provides the best chance of solitude, while sunset offers the best photography. Petrified Dunes. An overlook of the petrified dunes lies just off of the park road between the Courthouse Towers and the Windows Area. These colorful formations are ancient sand dunes, hardened into stone as additional layers built up on top of them and were later eroded away. Double Arch in the Windows District. Fiery Furnace. The Fiery Furnace area is accessible only on ranger-led tours, which can be reserved at the visitor center. The tour leads through a maze of sandstone fins, showcasing one of the most interesting geologic areas in the park. A fee is charged for this tour and tours often sell out quickly, so trips should be booked as early as possible. Reservations can be made up to a week in advance at the visitor's center, or for the full season at the park's website. Devil's Garden Trail. Devil's Garden is a series of sandstone fissures that are home to Landscape Arch (the park's largest), Double O Arch, and numerous others. A series of trails lead to the arches, with Landscape Arch only a 1.6 mile roundtrip from the trailhead, while Double O Arch is a more strenuous 4.2 mile roundtrip. Sadly, Wall Arch, once one of the most photographed arches in the park, is no more, having collapsed in August 2008. Klondike Bluffs. Visited by only a very small fraction of the park's tourists, Klondike Bluffs is in the northwest corner of the park and is accessible only by a dirt road or on foot. Tower Arch is located down a short trail, as is the formation known as the Marching Men. http://wikitravel.org/en/Arches_National_Park 360-degree panorama photography by yunzeng liu
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Utah is a state located in the westcentral region of the United States of America. Utah is the 13th largest state by area, ranks 34th by population and 10th by population density of the 50 United States. Utah was the 45th state to be admitted into the Union, on January 4, 1896. Utah is landlocked, being bordered by the states of Idaho to the north, Wyoming to the northeast, Nevada on the west, Colorado on the east and Arizona to the south. Utah is very mountainous and is a popular outing destination of the outdoorsman. The state population is about 2.82M with 95% being Caucasian, 2.4% Asian, 1.7% Native American and 1.3% Black. The state capital and largest city is Salt Lake City.Source: wikipedia
