Delicate Arch
The Delicate Arch (#15) 1 is one of the highlights of Arches National Park, it’s also the iconic background for Utah license plates, and has become even widely recognized as a symbol of the American West.
This morning we went to see it, taking the 3.3 mile round trip trail which the NPS describes as “longer / more strenuous”. It was 538 feet of elevation gain, so a steady up most of the time, but over a smooth gravel trail or slickrock.
And then on a narrow ledge as we approach the arch …
The light opening beneath the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch in the park.
Visitors love to rest and just admire the arch …
The arch sits next to a deep bowl …
We sat in the Frame Arch (#16), with the Delicate Arch “framed” in the background …
To get even a better perspective, we drove to the Upper and Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoints. From there, looking back to the noth, you get these views of the Delicate Arch and where we had just been.
It's popular to see Delicate Arch at sunset - we'll do that another day.
List of arches seen on this trip:
Tapestry
Broken
Tunnel
unnamed, adjacent to Tunnel
unnamed, adjacent to Tunnel
Pine Tree
Landscape
Partition
Sand Dune
Skyline
Navajo
Black Rock
Double O
Private
Delicate
Frame