A Closer Look At Delicate Arch – Arches National Park
Happy Souls At Delicate Arch!
Delicate Arch trail gives you an opportunity to get a closer look at one of the iconic rock formation in the world. It should definitely be on your to-do list if you are visiting the park. The park consists of more than 2000 stone arches. But this arch is recognized as the symbol of the state of Utah. And we can totally understand why!
The delicateness of the formation and its towering height is something that you won’t experience anywhere else. The opening beneath the arch is 46 feet and 32 feet wide. The Arch had a few names in its history like Cowboy’s Chaps, Old Maid’s Bloomers, Salt Wash Arch. In 1934 Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition named it as Delicate Arch since it is the most delicately chiseled arch by nature.
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Distance = 2.9 miles (round trip)
Route Type = Out & Back
Elevation Gain = 600 ft
Difficulty Level = Moderate
Time = 2 hours
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Parking Lot for the trail is at Wolfe Ranch.
Additional Parking is available at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint, but this increases the distance of the hike to 5 miles round trip.
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Sunscreen
Light Snacks
Good Hiking Shoes
Cap/Hat
Good Amount Of Water
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Please check weather conditions before you hike as there is no shade during the entire trail.
Carry plenty of water.
The hike involves ascending rocks, so please wear sturdy and comfortable shoes.
The hike is very popular and heavily trafficked, so plan to hike the trail early in the morning, before it gets crowded.
Dusk is the best time to visit Delicate Arch for capturing the magical reddish orange shade of the rocks.
On the trail, you will first come across the Wolfe ranch as soon as you start from the parking lot. On either side of the trail, you will see short bushes with rocks around. After crossing a bridge you will come across a signboard for petroglyphs. Till half a mile the trail is well marked with small stones on either side. After that, the trail surface starts to be more rocky with a gradient increasing gradually.
Climbing through some steps, you will come to point where in front of you, there is a big slab of slick rock with bushes. Even though there are no markings for the trail, it is hard to make a wrong turn as you will see crowds following a path ahead of you.
Once you cross the Slick rock, the trail narrows a bit and involves more ascending of small rocky land. You can marvel at the power of nature’s erosion seen on these rocks over the period of time. Just keep following the few signboards marked as “Trail” till you reach the narrowest ledge portion. Once you reach this area, you still won’t see the Delicate Arch, but you are super close to it. Walk with care on the exposed ledge.
After crossing the ledge, you will see the delicate arch standing tall, spreading its magical glow all around. In the background, you will see the tall towering mountain table tops of the park. Take your time to soak in the views.
Iconic and Mesmerizing Delicate Arch with snow covered peaks in the background
The hike is uphill throughout the way till you reach the bowl area of the arch. That being said, it was a totally fun and rewarding experience, since it is not often that one can see nature’s beauty at its best. The views of Delicate Arch from here is totally unobstructed and something which is very difficult to put in writing.
We highly recommend everyone visiting the park to take time and experience this hike so that you can add this to your list of sparkling moments!!!
Delicate Arch is definitely one of nature’s marvellous creation and we bet you would feel the same!
We hope you enjoy this trail as much as we did. Thank you for reading, and follow our adventures on Instagram soulsoncloudnine
Panaromic view of the Delicate Arch!
