The published measurements wereĪnything but clear-cut and certain. Depending on whom you believed, a case could be made forĮither arch having the greater span. At about the same time, two other independentĪttempts to measure Kolob Arch were made. Mid-1980s, two independent attempts were made to measure Landscape Arch. Landscape Arch and Kolob Arch fall into the difficult category. Unfortunately, for different reasons, both The other contender is Kolob Arch in Zion National Park.įor many natural arches, the span is fairly easy to measure. Since its discovery, Landscape Arch has been a leading candidate for When applied to natural arches and can't be quantitatively measured. Is preferred because terms like "largest" and "longest" are rather ambiguous The span, a very precisely defined dimension, The greatest span should be given the title of the world's "largest" In part, thisĬontroversy is driven by a desire to definitively determine the naturalĪrch with the world's greatest span. In Arches National Park, for at least the past 20 years. That equal the precision and accuracy of those now available for LandscapeĬontroversy has swirled around the dimensions of Landscape Arch, located However, this can only be confirmed by measurements of Kolob Arch Of "largest" natural arch in the world, Kolob Arch has the greatest Indicate it is likely that, of the known contenders for the title 5 feet,Ī thickness of 6 feet, and an opening breadth of 295 feet. Results are that Landscape Arch has a span of 290.1 ±. Total Vertical Gain: 200' Avg.Using laser technology and the NABS standard definitions for naturalĪrch dimensions, a team led by the author re-measured Landscape Arch in June 2004, with a very high degree of accuracy and precision. Trailhead Temp: 65'F Trail Traffic: 100+ people Mileage Hiked: 1.9 miles Hike Duration: 1:00 Route Type: Out-and-back Difficulty: EASY (Petzoldt Rating: 2.30 ) So come along with us as we visit the longest arch at Arches and, as always. This is a brief one but, I think you'll agree, certainly doesn't lack for natural eye-candy. So, without further adieu I present to you our last quick walk at Arches National Park. After completing the hike we decided to also make a few quick stops for pictures at some of the more famous roadside landmarks of the park, which I've also decided to include in this album. It's hard for the landscape of Arches to disappoint and we enjoyed every last minute we had to experience it. Despite the rush though, this was still a wonderful hike. Still wanting to make it over to neighboring Canyonlands National Park this day we only had about an hour to make a quick trek out to Landscape Arch and get back on the road. Unfortunately for us time was running short on our visit to Arches when we arrived at the trailhead. The more adventurous also have the option of continuing on beyond Landscape Arch into the most rugged part of the Devil's Garden where slot canyons, cliffs, and even more arches await. There's little elevation change either so this trail is suitable for just about anyone, thus its popularity. The trail itself is well-graded and easy to follow (and often, I might add, crowded) as it gently winds its way through rock formations of every description over its one-mile length. The short journey to reach the arch is therefore as much of an enjoyment as the arch itself. At Devil's Garden all of these wonders are still seen, but instead of being spread over many miles all are crammed together in one magnificently jumbled and ruggedly beautiful landscape of many colors. By the time one arrives at the north end of the road all of Arches natural wonders will have passed by your windshield.rock spires of every shape and color, cliffs, hodoos, and of course arches of every shape and size. Landscape Arch is accessed via a short, well-traveled path which extends from the northern terminus of the park road at an area called Devil's Garden. Regardless Landscape Arch is a magnificent and graceful wonder of nature and, upon completing this little hike, we felt privileged to have been able to witness its improbable beauty. It is unclear whether these collapses weakened or rather strengthened the arch by shedding weight. In the 1990's two massive slabs of rock broke off forcing the closure of the trail beneath it. In fact there is some argument regarding how imminent the collapse of Landscape Arch might be. With a width barely exceeding six feet at its thinnest the massive arch presents itself as being impossibly delicate to a point where it almost seems to defy the laws of physics. At over 290-feet in length, Landscape Arch is the longest arch within Arches National Park and the fifth longest arch on the planet.
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