If Utah is blessed with one thing, it would certainly be national parks. And one of them, Arches National Park, is known for sandstone layers, wind-and-water erosions, and structures that make you want to park your car and move in for a closer look.
Arches National Park lies atop a salt bed on the Colorado Plateau that has endured and changed over the last 300 million years. As floods and oceans covered the salt bed, rock shifted to form layers, most noticeably salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone and buff-colored Navajo Sandstone. That shifting, combined with destructive forces of wind and chemical weathering, left over 2,000 freestanding arches and unique structures now protected by the National Park Service.
But even if these red rocks seem to remain stable in form, they change hourly with the sun. And that variation in light stirred our fascination with Arches. For example, Three Gossips (in the Courthouse Towers section) caught our attention for unique form.
But in different light, the hues changed. Three Gossips became more distinct as we moved closer. Black swaths blended into the red. Layers of pink and salmon and white took shape. And the gossips themselves seemed ready for conversation.
Balanced Rock changed with light also. But other factors, like proximity and angle of vision, came into play. The closer we moved in, the more details we saw — massive height, erosion of the sandstone layer, and differences in overall shape and texture and form.
Sometimes it was luck that changed our perception. We chose not to take the long hike to Delicate Arch (the signature rock in brochures about Arches National Park). Instead, we took a shorter path, stood on a distant perch across the canyon, and watched heartier hikers roam ant-like around the well-known window.
But when a fellow photographer offered us his arm-length telephoto lens to get a better view, we never hesitated. After carefully swapping it out with our smallish lens, we snapped this view of Delicate Arch, giving us a front-row seat that we thought only the hale and hearty had. Oh, the kindness of strangers!
North and South Windows stood out on our map as a stop to take. Even from a distance, the whole of it intrigued us — size, dual windows, and interesting erosion.
But closer looks afforded us details not see from afar: richer color, views through the arch, and interesting twists and turns in the rock, no doubt formed by years of water, wind, rain, and snow.
We waited patiently for opportunities to see “windows” without people. And finally, we did. But not without patience and long wait-time. Visitors love these structures, understandably so. And, thanks to the national park system, pathways and man-made steps make these treasures accessible to all. But if you want a “no-people” view, prepare to wait.
If you haven’t visited Arches, you should. If you’ve been before, go again. Each hour, each day, each season is different. Arches National Park is layer cake and windows heaven.
Check out our next blog on sundown at Double Arch. And follow our series We Saw Utah for more pictures of Utah’s amazing national parks.
Travel Utah,
Rusha & Bert
For more information:
Arches National Park, https://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/arches-national-park
Information in this post based upon “Arches,” the brochure and map obtainable at the Arches National Park Visitor Center.
Amy
Amazing views! These are incredible photo captures!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks, Amy. I do wish, however, that I could be in the area for several days. I can only imagine how the views change with sunrise, sunset, fog, etc. Would be fun to capture in pictures!
mybicolblog
The Arches National Park looks so amazing! I Iove the different rock formations. I can imagine they’d look even better during sunset. Looking forward to more of your travels! =)
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for taking a look at one of our favorite national parks. We hope to get more posts completed in the coming weeks. We’d love for everyone to visit Utah!
mybicolblog
You’re welcome! Looking forward to your future posts! Utah seems like a lovely place =)
MBHenry
I love your picture of the delicate arch. I’ve never seen that viewpoint before. Arches is an amazing park, we stopped by in may and spent the whole day! I recommend Canyonlands too if you’ve never been.
Oh, the Places We See
We love Canyonlands as well, and I hope to craft a blog post on it as well. The whole state of Utah amazed us — we began in Salt Lake City and moved south. Could do the trip again and see totally new things — or at least with a new perspective. Thanks for taking a look at our blog. Stay tuned for more!
Wandering Dawgs
Beautiful photos! Love this post about Arches NP.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much for your praise and patience. We’ve been traveling in France and just now able to respond to comments. Arches is a great place to start on a tour of Utah national parks, but they’re all wonderful in their own right. So many parks, so little time! š
Alyssa
I traveled to Arches National Park in 2005 while en route to Vegas. A lot of the pictures I took from this trip fueled my high school art class inspiration! I was able to turn many of the photos into assignments. Thanks for sharing. It’s one of my favourite destinations.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much for commenting. We’ve been on a trip, so I’m slower in responding. But your comment means a lot. Arches really was a special place, and I would love the chance to go early in the morning. Light is what really makes a difference in how you see the formations. Maybe someday!
Curt Mekemson
Utah is crammed full of gorgeous National Parks and rocks, Rusha. Arches is one of my favorites. I am eager to get back to the Southwest! You are so right about timing. Early morning and sunset are always my favorite, but Arches is special at any time of the day. And I am forever waiting for people to get out of the photo. š āCurt
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much for the comment, Curt, and your patience. We’re back from France and finally able to use internet freely! We loved all the Southwest national parks we saw, but still have some to go. Arches really is special any time of day, but we saved Double Arch for sundown at recommendation of one of the rangers. Good plan, too!
Curt Mekemson
Peggy and I hit the double arch at sundown as well. In fact, I think we went back to it after we had visited it during the day. As for the Internet, I am off backpacking much of this summer. Not much Internet out there, either. š āCurt
If You Want My Opinion
We’ve been to Utah but not to Arches NP. Looks incredible. Yet another addition to the bucket list! Thanks for posting.
Oh, the Places We See
We, too, had been to Utah to see Zion. But this trip took us to more parks. And they are all different. And gorgeous. Hope you get there.
Jaspa
Stunning shots. The sky is a little bluer than it was when we were there!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for the compliment and for taking a look. It was a gorgeous day; however, we weren’t at all sites at the optimal time for sun exposure. Most of these pictures were taking in the heat of the day. If I could go again, I’d choose early morning or sundown. But the structures are awesome any time!
Jaspa
We didn’t have anywhere near enough time there. And next time I want to hike to Delicate Arch. https://jaspasjourney.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/arches-national-park-utah/
Pit
Great post – thanks for sharing, especially the pictures of a region I haven’t (yet) seen myself.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for taking a look at my post. I hope you can get to Arches at some point. It’s mind blowing!
Pit
You’re welcome. I really hope that, too.
Amy
Remarkable captures, Rusha! The landscape is stunning.
Reminded me our trip some years ago. š
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks, Amy. All of Utah is stunning, I guess. But the parks preserve the best of it! If we return, we’ll see something else altogether.
HesterLeyNel
Breathtaking views. The Three Gossips – a very appropriate description š Thank you for sharing.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks, Hester. We couldn’t agree with you more. We knew it would be lovely — so many people visit these parks. But we didn’t expect the changes in scenery to occur the whole day we were there. Would love a return trip!