At Utah’s Arches National Park, it’s one down (Wall Arch) and 2,000 more to go?

[Wall Arch before the Aug. 4 collapse]

After one of the famed red-rock arches at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, collapsed earlier this month, it begs the question “Which arch might be next?”

“Arches are temporary features,” said chief park interpreter Paul Henderson, commenting on the demise of Wall Arch on the night of Aug. 4. “The last part of the sandstone fin is finally completely eroding away. It’s just a question of time before every arch in the park collapses.”

[Wall Arch after the collapse]

But the “time” in question is geologic time, which could mean a collapse this afternoon or 5,000 years from now. This is the first major collapse since a chunk of Landscape Arch fell in 1991. The Devils Garden Trail, one of the main trails in the park that goes past Wall Arch, remains closed at that point until park officials decide whether to route the trail around or through the site.

So, of the 2,000-plus arches in the park, which one might be next?

Henderson said it’s impossible to say (and the park doesn’t go out measuring and monitoring them) but many folks assume the most fragile one is Landscape Arch, because it’s very long and appears to be thin in the center.

My favorite is the one that draws all the crowds: Delicate Arch, a slick, rock beauty that turns into a tourist magnet around sunset.

– Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Delicate Arch at Arches National Park]

[Photos: Top two photos, National Park Service; Delicate Arch, Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 2:52 pm by Mary Forgione and is filed under National Parks, News, Tips & Advice, Outdoors & Adventure, Rocky Mountain States, Utah. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.