Arches National Park has one of the highest concentrations of natural arches on earth. The rock strata here were uplifted by the underground motions of a massive salt dome. This caused deep vertical fractures in the rock. These cracks were further eroded with the remaining rock formed into “fins” such as those in the “Devil’s Garden” below. 

Further erosion caused thinning of the fins and eventual breakthroughs such as the tunnel arch:

These arches erode further, becoming thinner and more fragile. The Landscape Arch (below) spans 306 feet—the longest span of any arch in North America:

The Windows Section has some magnificent arches such as the North Window

Look carefully for the tiny humans in the arch, which provide a sense of scale.

Nearby is the magnificent Double Arch:

There are other remarkable rock features in the park such as Balancing Rock:

And a formation prosaically called “The Gossips:”

Which to me seem more like a congregation of the “Elder Gods.”

The “Park Avenue” trail enables one to stroll past many of these remarkable features.

But the most iconic feature in the park is unquestionably the “Delicate Arch,” seen below from two different angles:

Nearby is a mysterious rock guardian looking suspiciously like Jabba the Hutt:

Time to leave the arches and head for the Canyonlands.