One of our State's Crown Jewels
Delicate Arch
National Park Service Photo
Delicate Arch is located in Arches National Park near the town of Moab in Southeastern Utah. It is an amazing natural formation and is proudly displayed on most Utah License Plates and on the signs you may see when entering the State.
Delicate Arch stands alone at almost 5000 feet above sea-level. It is estimated that it took about 70,000 years for it to be created by frost, water and wind. Because of the narrow segment on the Arch’s one side, it has the potential to collapse in the geologic future. Delicate Arch is about 65 feet wide and about 85 feet high. It is formed from the Slickrock and Moab Tongue layers of the Entrada Sandstone. This arch also has no supporting fins that are visible on most other arches and there is no sign of debris that had fallen or been removed during it creation.
There are many ways to enjoy Delicate Arch and it is highly recommended and rewarding to hike to it from the Wolfe Ranch parking area. The hike will take you 2 to 3 hours and is about a 3 mile round trip with a 480 feet elevation gain. There is also two additional view points further down the road. The Upper View point is about a 20 minute hike of about ½ mile and the Lower View point is 100 yards on flat terrain.
National Park Service Photo
Parking for the hike to Delicate Arch:
N38 44.150 W109 31.245
Parking for Upper and Lower View Point:
N38 44.055 W109 30.130
Upper View Point:
N38 44.268 W109 30.055
Lower View Point:
N38 44.068 W109 30.015
To get credit and claim a “Find” for this EarthCache you must complete any task from the list below and let us know how many people were in your party.
Please do not include your answers on the Cache page.
Failure to complete a requirement from the list will result in your log being deleted.
#1: Hike to Delicate Arch and post a picture of yourself/s with your GPS at or under Delicate Arch (not from across the canyon) on the cache page and tell us via email something about Delicate Arch that you learned from visiting the Arch. Posting a Picture is now optional for some dumb reason. but I will respect you for doing so and it will keep your log from being deleted if you don't send the correct answers as a photo PROVES you were there. Any couch cacher can Google answers.
or
#2: Post the optional picture (but proof that you were there) of yourself/s with your GPS on the Cache page with Delicate Arch in the background from the Upper View Point and tell us via email how many Fence Posts you passed on your left getting up to the view point.
or
#3: Post the optional picture (but proof that you were there) of yourself/s with your GPS on the Cache page with Delicate Arch in the background from the Lower View Point and tell us via email which object to the right of the Arch looks most like a Spinx.
or
#4: Post the optional picture (but proof that you were there) of yourself/s on the Cache page with Delicate Arch in the background from any of the coordinates listed above and tell us via emal how Arches are formed.
We hope that this Earthcache will be a favorite to all who visit it. We have tried to make this Earthcache available to all and know that not everyone can make the hike up to the Arch.
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