- State: UT
- NPCA Region: Southwest
- Est. Date: 1929
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
With more than 2,000 natural stone arches, this landmark park offers more of these distinctive rock formations than anywhere else in the world. Wind and water, extreme temperatures, and a shifting underground salt bed sculpted the red rock over time into the area's spectacular and often delicate shapes. These arches can be large and impressive like the famous Delicate Arch, or just slivers in the sandstone.
Balanced Rock
Standing 128 feet tall, Balanced Rock is a 3,600-ton Entrada Sandstone boulder perched precariously atop a narrow pedestal of softer stone. Because the base erodes faster than the boulder, Balanced Rock will eventually fall — so be sure to see it while you can!
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Magazine Article
Beyond the Views
How smells bring national parks to life — and why we need to protect those aromas.
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Magazine Article
Chasing a Troubled River
The mighty Colorado River and its tributaries run through seven states and 10 national park sites and provide water and electricity to millions of people. But as photographer Pete McBride…
My Park Story
Greetings from Arches National Park
The thing about Delicate Arch is that even before you’ve seen it, you’ve probably seen its image a zillion times — on postcards and in magazines, on the road signs and Utah license plates you passed on your way to Arches National Park. And it doesn’t matter one bit. There’s…
More about Arches
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Read more about Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air
NPCA at Work Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air Clean air is still out of reach for our Southwestern national parks.
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Read more about Local Stakeholders Give Strong Protections to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks
Victory Local Stakeholders Give Strong Protections to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Plan finds a unique balance between conservation, recreation, and energy development, and shows just how much Utahans love their national parks.
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Read more about Utah’s Mighty Five and Beyond (WAITLIST ONLY)
Land Based Trip Utah’s Mighty Five and Beyond (WAITLIST ONLY) Uncover the rugged beauty and rich Indigenous history of Utah – a vast state with some of the country’s most famous national parks. On this nine-day national parks highlights trip, you’ll experience Utah’s famous “Mighty Five” national parks – Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands – along with the lesser known but equally stunning Bears Ears National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
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Read more about Federal Court Ruling Again Lets Utah’s Worst Polluters off the Hook from Cleaning Up Emissions
Press Release Federal Court Ruling Again Lets Utah’s Worst Polluters off the Hook from Cleaning Up Emissions The court decision will harm human health and ruin views in national parks.
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I appreciate the stories they tell us and I find inspiration in their beauty. — Kaina
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Read more about Arches National Park: 2022 Pilot Timed-Entry Visitor Experience Survey Technical Report
Report Arches National Park: 2022 Pilot Timed-Entry Visitor Experience Survey Technical Report This Utah State University report provides the findings of a study of visitor experiences with the pilot timed-entry system implemented in Arches National Park in 2022.
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Read more about Utah State University Study Shows Broad Support for Arches National Park Timed Entry Systems
Press Release Utah State University Study Shows Broad Support for Arches National Park Timed Entry Systems 84% of respondents indicated they would like to have a reservation system in place for future visits to Arches
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Read more about Reaching For The Sky
Magazine Article Reaching For The Sky A photographer and Yellowstone staffer on the art of taking nighttime pictures
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Read more about Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain to Resume Timed Entry Access in 2023
Press Release Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain to Resume Timed Entry Access in 2023 “Thanks to managed access, visitors to Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain saw more wildlife and wild lands than brake lights and traffic jams the last several years" -- NPCA's Cassidy Jones
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Read more about Tips for Seeing Arches During Peak Season
Blog Post Tips for Seeing Arches During Peak Season After years of frustrating overcrowding problems, staff at Arches National Park launched a timed-entry reservation system last month to ensure more reliable access for park visitors. Here's what to know before you go.
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Read more about Getting Some Distance
Magazine Article Getting Some Distance Is social distancing in busy national parks achievable? During the pandemic, some researchers headed to Arches to find out.
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Read more about Advocates Save 85,000 Acres in Utah from Oil and Gas Development — for Now
Blog Post Advocates Save 85,000 Acres in Utah from Oil and Gas Development — for Now A coalition of elected officials, tribal leaders, business owners, outdoor enthusiasts and public land advocates successfully pressured the Bureau of Land Management to remove Moab-area parcels from its oil and gas lease sales next month.
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Read more about Administration pulls plans to allow oil and gas drilling near Arches and Canyonlands
Press Release Administration pulls plans to allow oil and gas drilling near Arches and Canyonlands After months of pressure, agency defers plan to lease more than 80,000 acres of land to oil and gas corporations
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Read more about Amid Pandemic, Interior Moves Forward With Enormous Oil And Gas Drilling Plan Near National Parks
Press Release Amid Pandemic, Interior Moves Forward With Enormous Oil And Gas Drilling Plan Near National Parks The 110,000+ acre proposal would include oil and gas drilling within a mile of Canyonlands National Park and the original boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument
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Read more about Park Service Reverses Decision to Open Utah Parks to Off-Road Vehicles
Blog Post Park Service Reverses Decision to Open Utah Parks to Off-Road Vehicles After significant public pressure, including thousands of messages from NPCA supporters, the National Park Service reversed a decision that would have allowed certain off-road vehicles on paved and dirt roads in national parks and monuments in Utah.
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Read more about Planning 2.0 Protects Park Landscapes
Fact Sheet Planning 2.0 Protects Park Landscapes The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is tasked with managing millions of acres of public lands in the West. In order to ensure they are exercising good stewardship and balancing their dual mandate for managing public lands, each BLM Field Office is required by law to complete a Resource Management Plan (RMP).
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Read more about Youthworks in the Parks
Video Youthworks in the Parks An innovative partnership is connecting urban youth with public lands
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Read more about What Moves Us
Video What Moves Us Why are we drawn to our national parks? What inspires us to explore them—and to return to our favorites again and again? This video reminds us all why we yearn for the paths through our most cherished places... and can't help but to put one foot in front of the other.
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Read more about Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes
Fact Sheet Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes National parks are key to protecting and connecting our most revered places.
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Read more about Power Plants in the Four Corners Region
Report Power Plants in the Four Corners Region Map of national parks and power plants in the Four Corners region
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