Arches National Park, Utah
June 15-18, 2010
Arches National Park is located near the town of Moab and is so named because it contains over 2000 natural stone arches! The arches were formed through 300 million years of erosion and resulted in the dramatic landscape of spires, pinnacles, domes and balanced formations that seem to defy the laws of gravity. Arches Park lies on top of an ancient salt bed which was covered with water as the oceans returned and evaporated again and again. The salt bed began to flow under the weight of the overlying sandstones and this movement caused the surface rock to buckle and shift, thrusting some sections upward into domes and dropping others into cavities that would later cause vertical cracks and contribute to the development of arches. There is a plethora of hiking trails to discover the many outstanding features and scenery the park has to offer.
Our Accommodations - BLM Goose Island Campground
When we arrived at Arches National Park, the campground was full. However within the area, there was an array of camping options from private to reasonably priced Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campgrounds. We chose a BLM site called Goose Island Campground which was located about 5 minutes from the park entrance and only a few minutes from the town of Moab.
Arches National Park
The park is laid out quite nicely with a lovely scenic drive that takes you to all the major look-out points and trailheads.
Landscape Arch
The world's longest arch. It's longer than a football field!
Wall Street Formation
Balanced Rock Formation
The Three Gossips Formation
The Windows
The Windows Section are two circular arches resembling "windows".