Arches National Park, National park in Grand County, Utah, US.
Arches National Park lies in Grand County, Utah, 4 miles north of Moab, and holds over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, the highest density in the world. Most arches are cut from the salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone, which rests on buff-colored Navajo Sandstone in visible layers. The park covers 310.31 km² of high desert, from 4,085 ft at the visitor center to 5,653 ft at Elephant Butte.
The area became a national monument in 1929 and gained national park status in 1971. Earlier inhabitants left rock art and tools that remain visible at several sites within the park today.
The name Moab, used for the nearby town, comes from the biblical land of Moab; settlers applied it in the 1870s. The park lies on lands once used by Ute and other Native peoples, and rock art panels such as those near Wolfe Ranch record their presence.
Visitor centers provide information about trails and campsites, with morning hours in summer offering cooler temperatures for exploring. Many trails are short and accessible to most visitors, though some pass over uneven rock.
The Delicate Arch, which appears on Utah license plates, stands freestanding on a smooth rock ledge with no supporting pillars. The image of the arch at sunset became a symbol of the American West.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,182 contributors worldwide.
