The result is a landscape that is both rugged and delicate, with towering rock formations set against a backdrop of sweeping vistas. The park’s signature feature, the sandstone arches, were formed over millions of years as wind and water eroded the soft rock, leaving behind the harder, more resilient sections. No day’s drive here! Actually, you could walk it.Īrches National Park is a protected area that covers over 76,000 acres (31,000 hectares) and is home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, as well as other unique geological formations, such as towering spires, massive fins, and delicate balance rocks. Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Moab?ĭistance From Moab: Nine minutes (5 miles) via US-191 N.Zion National Park (Shutterstock-Peter Kunasz) Now if you’re planning a trip to Moab to see the Mighty 5 then one book that I highly recommend is: Fodor’s Utah: With Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks (Full-color Travel Guide). We get asked that question a lot because there’s a difference between a “national park” and a “national park site.” To help you understand that difference you might want to check out our article titled: What Is A National Park Really? We’ve got all of that plus more as we’ll give you 5 reasons why you’ll want to hop in your car and make a day’s drive (or less) from Moab to one of these truly amazing places. They include the massive red rock formations found in Arches National Park and beautiful mesas and buttes carved by the Green and Colorado rivers, plus Native American rock art, which you will find in Canyonlands National Park. Moab is the gateway to these fabulous places. ![]() In this article, More Than Just Parks introduces you to the “Mighty Five.” ![]() (Shutterstock-Josemaria Toscano)Īrticle Summary: National Parks Near Moab Kolob Arch spanned a close second at 287.4 feet.Ĭlick here for more information about Arches and the surrounding area.Beautiful Sunset Image taken at Arches National Park in Utah. In its last (and most accurate measurement), Landscape was reported to span 290.1 feet. It is amazingly thin, delicate-looking, and photogenic. The largest arch in the entire world, Landscape is rightfully famous. Because of recent rock falls from the underside of the arch, visitors are no longer allowed to travel underneath the fragile-looking rock span. Only a few years ago, a short spur trail passed directly underneath the arch. Private Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Wall Arch, Double O Arch, the Dark Angel pinnacle, and more, all hide within the rocky playground, and the Primitive Loop Trail takes visitors to see them all. There is more to see within the Devils Garden then just the impressive Landscape Arch. To reach Tunnel Arch, take the right fork, which is only 600 feet long. The path to Pine Tree Arch forks left 300 feet off of the Devils Garden Trail , and is just over a kilometer long. ![]() ![]() This little trail branches off of the main, heading north for a look at these two lesser known arches. The improved Devils Garden Trail ends at Landscape Arch a Primitive Loop Trail extends from there, providing access to many of the area's most spectacular structures. This is a nice trail, paved, wide, and level, as good as it gets in the barren Arches landscape. The Devils Garden area hosts an awesome number of arches and other natural sculptures. Landscape Arch is located at the end of the manicured Devils Garden Trail, in the top portion of Arches National Park, off of the Arches Entrance Road. Either way, Landscape is an awesome sight the amazing width of the stone arch, held in place by such a delicate, slender center. This leads to two schools of thought: Landscape is at the end of its life cycle and will soon be a pile of rubble, or that Landscape has just shed some pounds and that the new, balanced arch may be around for a few hundred more years after all. Pieces of Landscape Arch have broken off during the past few centuries, some chunks the size of automobiles. Landscape Arch is the largest arch on the planet, beating out Zion National Park’s Kolob Arch by a scant 3 feet.
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