Arches National Park was 58-mile drive from our RV park (Mountain View) in Monticello, UT. We had spent a lazy day at home (in the RV) and decided in the late afternoon to drive to Moab. Since we were so nearby, we did not want to miss the opportunity to visit again.
Along the way, we made a quick stop at Wilson’s Arch. Named for Joe Wilson, he was a local pioneer with a nearby cabin. The arch is clearly visible from the US 191 and it’s huge! Can you see the person walking under the arch in the second photo?
Arriving at Arches after 5 pm, the Visitor Center was already closed. And the crazy rock formations begin right at the entrance to the park.
Park Avenue (so named because it reminded early visitors of city skyscrapers) is an example of erosion that has left vertical slabs (called fins). Comprised of Entrada Sandstone that formed about 160M years ago, erosion has created cracks in the last 2M years resulting in this rock wall. I loved the shadows…
The views at dusk are enchanting with orange hues and deep shadows.
An immense desert with large sand dunes was once here. The dunes were covered by sediment and then cemented by quartz and calcite into Navajo Sandstone. The overlying areas have been washed away by erosion exposing the petrified dunes.
We spotted these two arches in the distance from the park road. Awesome!
More crazy rock formations sculpted by wind and water can be seen everywhere. The first photo is of Balanced Rock. The boulder perched on top of the mudstone pedestal is slick rock of Entrada sandstone. The total height is 128’; the boulder is 55’ high; and the weight of the boulder is about 3,500 tons. It appears to defy gravity for now, but erosion will eventually cause it to fall.
Below is a view of Salt Valley…a thick layer (thousands of feet deep) was formed here by evaporation of ancient oceans.
The setting sun created a beautiful orange hue on the hills at we made our way back to the entrance.
This the final photo of the night. It was a different perspective to be in the park sunset…gorgeous.
This was a beautiful way to end the day. For additional information, go to www.nps.gov/arch. Arches National Park is stunning any time of day!
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