Fascinating Facts About Arches National Park

The World’s Greatest Concentration of Natural Arches

Arches National Park is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches—the highest concentration anywhere on Earth. From tiny three-foot openings to massive spans longer than a football field, each one is a masterpiece millions of years in the making. Join one of our guided Arches tours to see these formations up close, learn how they came to be, and discover viewpoints most visitors miss.

Landscape Arch Is Longer Than a Football Field

Spanning 306 feet (93 meters), Landscape Arch in Devils Garden is the longest in North America and the fourth longest in the world. The rock is so thin that pieces have fallen away in recent years—prompting park rangers to close the trail beneath it for safety. Of course, now you want to know where the longest arch is, don't you? It's "Fairy Bridge" in Guangxi, China and spans nearly 400 feet across. It was only discovered by explorers in the 2000's! But few places on Earth pack as many arches into one park as Moab.

Delicate Arch: The Most Famous Arch in the World

Utah’s state icon, Delicate Arch, rises about 52 feet (16 meters) tall—roughly the height of a five-story building—and stands alone atop a vast slickrock bowl, drawing visitors from around the world. Once part of a sandstone fin, it was sculpted into its freestanding shape by erosion. You’ll spot it on the Utah state license plate—and in photos from every corner of the globe that capture the unmistakable spirit of Moab.

Balanced Rock Weighs More Than 25 Blue Whales

One of Arches’ most photographed features, the sandstone boulder atop Balanced Rock is estimated to weigh around 3,577 tons. It’s held in place by a much smaller pedestal that’s slowly wearing away—a gravity-defying reminder that even rock eventually moves. And in case you’re wondering, a single blue whale can weigh up to 150 tons—meaning this one rock is as heavy as an entire pod of them, or about the same as 300 loaded school buses balanced on a single point.

Arches National Park Has a “Salt Basement” Beneath It

Hidden below the desert surface is a 300-million-year-old salt bed, left behind by ancient seas. Over time, the salt shifted and buckled, cracking the sandstone above it. Without this unstable foundation, Arches’ incredible formations might never have existed. In other words, the park’s arches owe their beauty to a layer of ancient salt that’s still quietly reshaping the landscape—like a geologic waterbed under the desert.

Arches Still Come and Go

Wind, rain, and temperature changes continue to shape the landscape every day. In 2008, Wall Arch collapsed overnight, stunning rangers and visitors alike. It wasn’t the first—Landscape Arch has lost large slabs in recent decades, and Double Arch has shed fragments too. New arches will eventually form in their place, a living reminder that even stone is never still in the desert.

Hollywood Fell in Love with Arches

From classic westerns like Rio Conchos to blockbusters such as Thelma & Louise and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, more than a dozen movies have been filmed in or around Arches. The opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where young Indy discovers the Cross of Coronado, was filmed beneath Double Arch—one of the park’s most striking formations. With its glowing red rock and otherworldly landscape, it’s no wonder Arches has become one of Hollywood’s favorite natural sets.

The Desert Is Alive Beneath Your Feet

Look closely and you’ll notice a dark, crusty layer on the ground—it’s a living community of microbes, mosses, and lichens that helps the desert survive. This “biological soil crust” traps moisture and prevents erosion, making it essential to life in Arches. It’s also incredibly fragile—a single footprint can destroy decades of growth—so staying on the trail protects the park’s living skin.

Ancient People Left Their Mark Here

Petroglyphs near Wolfe Ranch tell stories from the Ute and Ancestral Puebloan peoples who once lived and hunted here. Their carvings, etched hundreds of years ago, offer a timeless link between the park’s human and geological history. If you look closely, you might even spot a few modern scratches locals jokingly call “Bubba glyphs”—unfortunate reminders that carving on rock destroys irreplaceable history. The best way to honor those who came before us is to admire, not alter, their work.

Arches Almost Had a Different Name

When the area was first proposed for protection, early officials considered names like “The Windows National Monument” and “Devil’s Garden National Monument.” It wasn’t until the 1930s that the simpler name “Arches” was chosen—honoring the features that make it unlike any other place on Earth. Join one of our Guided Arches National Park Tours to uncover these facts and stories, and so many more, that will give you an even greater appreciation of this magical park.