Parallel Double Arch, Klondike Bluffs, near Moab, Utah, March 14, 2025

 We attended the 2025 Spring Arch Rally by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society centered around Moab, Utah. The rally was held from Saturday, March 8th to Saturday, March 15th.

On our seventh day of hiking, our host Peter Jamieson took us to the Klondike Bluffs area north of Moab, Utah. One of the several natural rock spans that we saw on this hike was this one called Parallel Arch. This double arch was high on a cliff of sandstone.

The dimensions of these arches, according to the World Arch Database is, for the outer arch, 32 foot span, and the inner arch is 22 foot span.

We tried measuring the span and height of these two natural rock spans and came up with the following numbers:

Parallel Arch Outer

Span - 17.178 meters (56.36 feet)

Height - 12.617 meters (41.38 feet)

Parallel Arch Inner

Height - 9.067 meters (29.75 feet)

Span - 

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Concealed Bridge, Herdina Park, Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, 2025 Spring Arch Rally, Natural Arch and Bridge Society, March 10, 2025

 We attended the 2025 Spring Arch Rally by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society centered around Moab, Utah. The rally was held from Saturday, March 8th to Saturday, March 15th.

On our third day of hiking, our host David Alexander took us to the Herdina Park area of Arches National Park. One of the several natural rock spans that we saw on this hike was this one called Concealed Bridge. To get to it we had to duck under an overhang of sandstone before reaching a dryfall, or pouroff, This span  was on the edge of a pothole.

The span of this arch is 9.5 feet and the height is 10 feet and is listed as a waterfall-type natural bridge.

Remember it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Delicate Arch during thunderstorm, Arches National Park, Utah, October 11, 2023

 On Bob's way to Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah for the October 14th annular eclipse, he visited Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. His first closeup sighting of Delicate Arch back in the early 80s is what inflicted Bob with what he calls "spanophilia," which he defines as a condition of loving natural rock spans, which makes him a "spanophile."

During this particular visit to Delicate Arch on October 11, 2023, thunderstorms were passing overhead and the clouds were letting loose of rain periodically. During the downpours, Bob just hunkered down and waited for the rain to stop. Between downpours, he got this wide angle shot with his GoPro Hero 8 Black. This was the first time Bob visited Delicate Arch when it had been rained on.

Remember, it's just not a picture, it's a story.

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, Utah

 

This image is from 2008 when we were still using film. So this is a slide that was scanned and edited. This feature in Arches National Park is called Balanced Rock. We can speculate as to how long it will be before the huge rock on top falls down, but it will eventually, such is geological forces. You can view this feature right from the road about 9 miles from the visitor center. If  you park and hike the trails, you can completely encircle it. This photo was taken in the afternoon with a westward sun lighting the scene and storm clouds starting to build.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Delicate Arch and a sandstone amphitheater, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah sits on the rim of an amphitheater.  This panoramic shot shows that amphitheater plus Delicate Arch.  This arch is at the end of a trail that makes for a 3 mile round trip hike and gains 480 feet from the trailhead to the arch.

Delicate Arch is the symbol of Arches National Park and is such an iconic symbol of Utah that it appears on many of the state's vehicle license plates.

We visited Delicate Arch during a spring break in 2017 and hiked almost all the way around the rim of this amphitheater to get this shot.  This panorama is a combination of 18 bracketed images.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Happy Earth Day 2018 from the Robinson Twins

Happy Earth Day 2018

from

The Robinson Twins

We're standing in Twisted Doughnut Arch with Delicate Arch beyond, in Arches National Park, during Spring 2017. Bob's in the center and Rick's holding a tripod.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Delicate Arch with a sunny halo

Delicate Arch is probably Utah's most famous landmark. It stands on the rim of a huge bowl-shaped depression. So we traveled down into the bowl in order to look back up at it. We noticed how brightly the sun was glowing behind the arch, plus the bright wispy clouds. This side of the arch was in shadow, but we were able to bring out the details in the editing process. Bob accidentally dropped a lens cap that rolled all the way down to the base of the bowl. It turned out it wasn't as difficult to follow the slope down as it looked at first glance. He was able to get the lens cap back.

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Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

The Windows, in Arches National Park, from the west looking eastward, plus the North Window Arch, up close

Within Arches National Park is this dramatic feature that can seen several miles away along the main park road, well before you turn off to get a closer look. There is a path around these features, which you can see at the right edge of the image. You can also see people underneath the left "window." In both cases, going through these arches leads to a somewhat dramatic drop off on the other side. We visited this park as part of our Spring Break 2017 trip through southern Utah. The second picture is the North Window Arch, up close and consisting of four shots that have been merged to create a detailed image of this feature.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

The Windows, Arches National Park features

These two arches in Arches National Park, are combined as one feature called The Windows. They can be seen from a long way off, but you can also park and walk under them. You can see a small group under the left arch. Both arches are rounded and look like eyes. From this perspective, though, the left "eye" has a rock feature beyond it that fills in its left side. From further back and to the left, there is a spot where you can see both eyes clear and filled with sky. In some places, you can see signs of boulders having fallen from the underside of the arch. Makes you wonder about your safety sometimes!

Another thing this feature looks like is a sea turtle.  The arcs of rock enclosing the Windows can be thought of as flippers while the rock mound between them looks like the head.

ISO 100, f6.7, 1/180 sec were the settings.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Delicate Arch from the rim of the sandstone amphitheater

A view of Delicate Arch on the side away from the trail that leads to it.  The trail to the arch is a 3 mile round trip that gains and loses 480 feet.

Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic natural rock spans in the world.  Many Utah license plates feature an image of this arch.

This is a free-standing arch perched on the rim of a sandstone amphitheater.  The opening is 64 feet high and 45 feet wide.  The Entrada Sandstone that makes up much of the outcrops of Arches National Park tends to form narrow fins of rock that are conducive to the formation of arches.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Utah.  This free-standing arch is perched on the edge of an amphitheater.  We hiked about a mile and a half on a mostly uphill trail to get to this view point.  The opening under the span of rock is 64 feet high and 45 feet wide.  This arch has had a number of names in the past including "Cowboy's Chaps," which it kind of resembles.  The snow-capped La Sal Mountains are visible to the left of the arch.

Much of this park consists of Entrada sandstone, which is a relatively pure sandstone that lends itself well to the formation of arches.  Over 2000 arches have been documented with Delicate Arch being the most famous.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Sunset silhouette of Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic of all the natural rock spans.  It's not only the symbol of Arches National Park, but also appears on the license plates of many Utah motor vehicles.  It was also shown on a postage stamp honoring Utah on the centennial of its statehood.

This photo shows the 65-foot tall arch in silhouette by the setting sun.  It is one of the most visited arches in the park requiring only about a 2 mile hike to reach.  It was formed out of Entrada sandstone and is a freestanding arch, which is what makes it so distinctive. To make it even more dramatic, it is also perched on the edge of a huge sandstone bowl on one side and a cliff on the other.

Remember, it's not just a photo, it's a story.