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About Arches National Park

If you're visiting Utah, you'll undoubtedly be told to see the famous Delicate Arch. You might have seen it before, of course. It's depicted on Utah license plates and postage stamps and was the site of the Olympic torch relay in the 2002 Winter Olympics. It stands 60 feet tall and is sometimes known as "The Chaps" or the "Schoolmarm's Bloomers" by the locals. It's the most prominent landmark in the Arches National Park, which is just right next to the Colorado River and is six kilometers north of Moab, Utah. The reason for the park's name lies in the fact that it has over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. In fact, it's the park with the highest number of natural arches in the entire world.

Located on the Colorado Plateau, the park consists of 76,679 acres of desert. Although it still celebrates the fact that it has many natural arches, some of them - around 43, in fact - have collapsed since 1977 due to erosion. Many people feared that the Delicate Arch would collapse, too. The National Park Service proposed the idea of applying a plastic coating to the arch to protect it from erosion, but it didn't come to fruition because it was deemed impractical and against the organization's principles.

The Arches National park isn't just a tourist attraction. It carries with it the weight of the area's natural history. The region has been inhabited since the Ice Age. According to historians, the area was inhabited for almost 700 years by the pre-Columbian ancient culture dubbed "the Fremont People" and the ancient Native American group, the Anasazi or the Ancient Pueblo People. Later on, in 1775, Spanish missionaries came upon Ute and Paiute tribe members. The Mormon Elk Mountain Mission tried to settle in the area in 1855, but they later abandoned the idea because of the place's remoteness.

Eventually, some ranchers and people looking for gold arrived in the area and fell in love with the wilderness part of what is now Moab City. They touted the place as a tourist destination until the population doubled in size when people started settling in the area. It wasn't until 1923, though, that the National Park Service learned about an area with a lot of natural arches. Frank A. Wadleigh, a passenger traffic manager of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Together with photographer George L. Beam, Wadleigh was invited to the area by Alexander Ringhoffer who lived in the Salt River Valley. He wanted to entice the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad into using the area as an attraction. Ringhoffer had named the area "Devil's Garden", which is now known as "Klondike Bluffs". When Wadleigh saw the area, he told the NPS director to make the place a national monument.

The Arches National Park is a sight to behold. It's a haven for people who love to hike, climb mountains, camp, or to just discover something new and strange. If you're thinking of visiting the area, consider staying at the Red Cliffs Lodge on Mile Marker 14 on Highway 128 in Moab. It's surrounded by 2,000 foot cliffs on its 220 acres and has been ranked No. 1 in "Best Place to Stay in Moab" by TripAdvisor for more than eight years now. It's located near the Colorado River's white water rapids and provides a breathtaking view of the mountains. The lodge is complete with air conditioning, business rooms, a fitness center, an outdoor common area hot tub, an outdoor pool, a tennis court, an on-site bar and restaurant, and a gift shop. Each room also has its own microwave and refrigerator, but you'll get to use them only sparingly because you'll be occupied doing things out in the park like hiking, rafting, and riding an ATV. You can also go rappelling or rock climbing, camping, and mountain biking.

Hiking in Arches National Park is a rewarding experience simply because of the natural arches and bridges you'll see on-site. One of the most beautiful sights in the park is the Owachomo Bridge that was formed years ago by stream erosion. When the stream disappeared, in its wake was a natural land bridge. Now, that bridge erodes from a combination of rain, frost, and sandblast. Contrary to its name, the Delicate Arch has withstood the test of time and climate for many years now. It remains one of the most celebrated and admired natural landmarks in the United States. Another natural wonder is the Natural Bridge, which is the most accessible landmark within the park. It serves as a large window into the rest of the park's canyons. The Landscape Arch, meanwhile, is the longest arch in the world. It's got a 290-foot span, which you can reach after a 1.5-mile hike from the Devil's Garden or Klondike Bluffs. It's a beautiful arch, made only more enticing by its somewhat difficult path. If you want a more challenging destination, though, the Corona Arch is a place where many people have tried swinging from the arch, attempting to become the next Tarzan. Fortunately, that activity has been banned after many have tried and failed and have acquired major injuries in the process. When it comes to beauty, though, there's none that can rival the Mesa Arch. Before you leave, make sure you get a shot of the Mesa Arch, which stands on a cliff that's 1,000 feet above the ground. There's no better place in Moab to watch the sun set than through the arch's eye.