Arches' Rock Stars

Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. There are over 2,000 documented arches in the park, plus pinnacles, balanced rocks, fins and other geologic formations. Some are more notable than others. Here is a sampling of some of the longest, tallest, and most famous rock formations in the park.

Landscape Arch NPS/Neal Herbert

Longest Span:

With a light opening measured at 306 feet (93.3 meters), Landscape Arch, in the Devils Garden area, has the longest span of any arch in North America. (Four arches in China now outrank Landscape in the claim for largest arch in the world.)

Double Arch soars above a tiny figure in blue. NPS/Jacob W. Frank

Tallest Opening:

The southern span of Double Arch soars 112 feet (34 m) above ground level in The Windows Section. It is also the third-longest (or widest) arch in the park, at 144 feet (44 m) across.

From this angle, Balanced Rock seems to almost defy gravity. NPS/Neal Herbert

Biggest Balancer:

Standing beneath Balanced Rock, it's hard to grasp its size. The massive sandstone boulder perched atop the pedestal is estimated to weigh 3,577 tons. That's the weight of an icebreaker ship or approximately 27 blue whales.

Delicate Arch from an uncommon angle NPS/Neal Herbert

Most Famous:

Without a doubt, Delicate Arch is the most famous natural stone arch in the world. Referred to as "The Arch" by many arriving visitors for whom it is No. 1 on their must-see lists, Delicate has an allure that is hard to explain but impossible to deny.

The light opening beneath Delicate Arch is 46 feet (14 m) high. The entire rock span is around 60 feet (18 m) tall.

Every single arch, spire, and other rock shape in the park is a remnant of massive, solid layers of rock that once covered the area. Over time, the layers bulged, cracked, and began to erode away. Given enough time, every arch will be gone and the layer beneath will be exposed... until it, too, is gone. What will the park look like then?

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