Wrather Arch, Natural arch in Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona
Wrather Arch is a large sandstone rock formation located in Wrather Canyon in northern Arizona. The structure spans a considerable distance and rises high above the surrounding canyon floor.
The formation was discovered in 1963 by a pilot flying over the region and later surveyed and documented. Geographic organizations subsequently named and recorded measurements of the site.
The National Geographic Society named the arch after one of its trustees and published its first measurements in a February 1966 news bulletin.
Visiting this formation requires a challenging backcountry hike through a canyon system. Proper permits and advance planning are necessary before attempting the journey.
The structure undergoes constant weathering and rock flaking, with fragments regularly breaking away from the formation. This ongoing natural breakdown reveals the dynamic geological processes at work in this landscape.
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