Landscape Arch is the longest arch in North America with a light opening of 306 feet (93.3 meters). Fins eventually erode and give way to the formation of arches like Landscape Arch, the crown jewel of Devils Garden. Here you’ll find arches, spires, and a large concentration of narrow rock walls called “fins.” Fins form when rainwater erodes parallel fractures caused by the uplift of salt deposits below the surface. NPS/Neal Herbert The Adventure of a LifetimeĪdventure waits for sightseers, hikers, and thrill-seekers in Devils Garden – one of the premier locations in the park. Most people never get to see Arches looking like this.Landscape Arch shines brightest in the early morning hours. And as an added bonus, because I was here on a snowy day in winter, everything was frosted with white. So, you get to see some neat formations like this… As the name suggests, there are plenty of “fins” of sandstone lined up, one after another, and the trail passes by the ends of them. That put some interesting rock features directly in front of me, as I headed towards a place called Fin Canyon. While the main part of the trail heads northwest, this part of the trail heads almost due north. I knew I wasn’t going to hike the whole thing, but the first part of the trail looked easy, and the snow was un-trampled, so I thought I might get some good pictures. When I reached that split in the trail, I took the turn and headed down the loop for a way. The Devils Garden Loop trail is more of a lollipop shape, which means there’s a loop at the end. So, I turned around.īut, I didn’t head straight back to the car.

I decided that I was more interested in a relaxing walk through the snow than a challenging hike uphill. None of the other footprints continued on up the trail. I took a look at the trail that continued on to Double O Arch, and it looked pretty difficult when buried under snow.

The trail meanders to a viewpoint that’s pretty close to Landscape arch, allowing you to see some blue sky behind it. The arch blends in with the hill behind it. The other arch mentioned on that sign, Double O Arch, is two miles (one way) from the parking area - although the trail beyond Landscape Arch is more primitive and strenuous.Īs you get close to Landscape Arch, you probably won’t even see it. But, Landscape Arch is just one of seven arches (and probably more unnamed ones) along the longer Devils Garden Loop, which involves 7.5 miles of hiking. It’s about one mile (one way) out to Landscape Arch, and if you hike straight back, you’ll have a two-mile trip. The hike to Landscape Arch is just part of a longer hike through Devils Garden. It was hard to believe I was in one of America’s most popular national parks, and I had it all to myself. The hike begins at the trailhead at the end of the road and immediately squeezes between some rocky cliffs and sandstone formations.Įverything was nicely frosted with snow, and the sky was still overcast.

There were only a couple of other cars there, and just a few sets of footprints in the snow, so I knew I’d have the hike to Landscape Arch in winter almost entirely to myself. I ended up at the end of the road, at the north end of Arches National Park, at Devils Garden, just as the snow was turning to flurries. You can see that part of my visit on the Arches in Winter page. I enjoyed a nice drive through the park in the snow while the sky was still dim and blue. The forecast had predicted two or three hours of snow, right around sunrise, and it was exactly right. I arrived in Arches National Park before dawn.

Landscape arch in arches national park