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Arches National Park Facts

Arches National Park Facts
Arches National Park is a 76,679 acre park located in eastern Utah in the United States. The region has been inhabited by humans for 10,000 years, and until roughly 700 years ago the Pueblo People called the area home. In the 1700s the Spanish explorers encountered the Paiute and Ute Native Americans in the area, and in 1855 the first settlers, the Mormons built a mission there. They soon left, but in later years the region began to gain popularity as a possible tourist location. In 1929 President Herbert Hoover created Arches National Monument, and in 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt enlarged the monument and added development permits. In 1969 President Lyndon B. Johnson enlarged the national monument but President Richard Nixon later reduced its size and re-designated it as a national park in 1971.
Interesting Arches National Park Facts:
There are more than 2000 natural sandstone arches located in Arches National Park, which is the inspiration for the park's name.
Arches National Park is made up of red rock formations including arches, pinnacles, balanced rocks, and gigantic fins.
Because of the darkness of the skies Arches National Park is popular with astronomers. The dark sky makes it possible to see a lot of stars at night.
Wildlife found in Arches National Park includes desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions, red foxes, western rattlesnakes, midget faded rattlesnakes, kangaroo rats, peregrine falcons, yucca moths, spade foot toads, and western collared lizards, as well as scrub jays and many varieties of sparrows.
Plants that are found in Arches National Park include black brush, Utah juniper, cheat grass, sand verbena, prickly pear cactus, evening primrose, pinyon pine, yucca, cliff rose, Mormon tea, and stemless woollybase.
Features in Arches National Park that are popular with tourists include the Devil's Garden, the Wall Arch, the Double Ach, the Balanced Rock, the Delicate Arch, the Fiery Furnace, the Courthouse Towers, the Petrified Dunes, the Dark Angel, and the Landscape Arch.
Balanced Rock is a very large rock (three school buses in size) balanced naturally in the park.
Courthouse Towers is a group of tall stone columns in the park.
Delicate Arch is the most famous and recognized arch in Arches National Park. It is also a symbol of the state of Utah.
There are ancient sand dunes in Arches National Park left over from ancient lakes in the area, called Petrified Dunes.
The Wall Arch which was one of the highlights of Arches National Park collapsed in 2008. It was located along Devil's Garden Trail.
Visitors to Arches National Park can enjoy camping, hiking, and driving along marked trails. Sticking to trails is important not only for the protection of the park's features, but also in case of emergencies.
If a rock or other formation is named on the United States Geological Survey climbing is prohibited. Guides can be hired to take visitors through the park.
Arches National Park has been featured in scenes in some Hollywood movies including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).


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