Arches National Park

Arches National Park protects an extraordinary landscape of contrasting colors, landforms, and textures in southeast Utah. The park contains over 2,000 natural stone arches ranging from 3-foot openings to Landscape Arch, which spans 306 feet base to base. These remarkable formations, along with hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks, have been sculpted by the forces of nature over millions of years from Entrada Sandstone. The high desert ecosystem supports specially adapted plant and animal communities including Utah juniper, pinyon pine, and blackbrush, along with desert bighorn sheep, kit foxes, and numerous reptile species. Biological soil crusts, living groundcover of cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses, play a vital role in the ecosystem by preventing erosion and providing nutrients. The park's elevation range from 4,000 to 5,600 feet creates microhabitats supporting surprising diversity in this arid landscape. Arches implements strict visitation management through timed entry reservations to protect fragile desert soils and formations. The park manages 1.8 million annual visitors while maintaining resource protection through designated trails and minimal development. Research programs monitor arch stability, biological soil crust health, and climate impacts while restoration efforts focus on damaged areas and invasive plant removal.

Water Features

Courthouse Wash, Colorado River (adjacent)

Ecosystem

This destination features a desert ecosystem.