The thing about Delicate Arch is that even before you’ve seen it, you’ve probably seen its image a zillion times — on postcards and in magazines, on the road signs and Utah license plates you passed on your way to Arches National Park. And it doesn’t matter one bit. There’s nothing — not even the crowds you’ll likely encounter there — that can take away the splendor of this magnificent monolith.
But Edward Abbey, in “Desert Solitaire,” already put it best:
“A weird, lovely, fantastic object out of nature like Delicate Arch has the curious ability to remind us — like rock and sunlight and wind and wildflowers — that out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours, a world which sustains the little world of man as sea and sky surround and sustain a ship. For a little while we are again able to see, as the child sees, a world of marvels.”
Sincerely,
Arches National Park
With more than 2,000 natural stone arches, this landmark park offers more of these distinctive rock formations than anywhere else in the world. Wind and water, extreme temperatures, and a shifting underground salt bed sculpted the red rock over time into the area's spectacular and often delicate shapes. These arches can be large and impressive like the famous Delicate Arch, or just slivers in the sandstone.
State(s): Utah
Established: 1929
“These days, we need all the wonder we can get. ”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}-
Greetings from Arches National Park
My girlfriend and I woke up in Southern California and at 5AM she asked me “Zion or Arches”? We had two friends (another queer couple) in Arches so headed there on a whim where our chosen family met us with an already set-up tent, dinner, and cold drinks. I love…
-
Greetings from Arches National Park
My partner Keith and I in Spring 2009. I lived in CO for 10 years and have explored all over the west. I really enjoyed showing him some of my favorite spots.
-
Greetings from Arches National Park
After a 6000-mile road trip through more than a dozen national parks and monuments (Mt. Rainier to Saguarro), I commissioned my painter friend, Connie Brown, to map the "spellbound" tour, using photographs I had taken as models for her border vignettes. This is her fabulous masterpiece!
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now