Wall Arch, Arches National Park, Grand County, Utah
Photographers: Grant Willis (top)
and Rich Giraud (bottom)
Now you see it, now you don’t. Formerly located along the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park, Wall Arch collapsed sometime during the night of August 4th, 2008.
During the night of August 4, 2008, Utah lost a popular giant when Wall Arch, a prominent arch along the Devils Garden Trail in Arches National Park, collapsed.
While not the largest or most famous arch in the park, Wall Arch was still a favorite due to its proximity to Landscape Arch along the always-busy trail. With a measured span of 55 feet, it was ranked as 12th largest in the park (some publications and Web sites give the span as 71 feet – this is actually the “breadth”, a dimension that is not useful for comparing arches).
While no arch lasts forever, it is still extremely rare to see such a dramatic example of “geology in action.” We do not have a good geologic tool for dating arch formation, but we are sure that Wall Arch had stood nearly unchanged for hundreds, and probably thousands of years.
UTAH’S NATURAL ROCK ARCHES
This issue contains:
* What is the Biggest Natural Arch in the World?
* Ancient Landslides of the Beaver Dam Mountains
* Virtual Geologic Map Overlays
* Energy News: Utah’s Renewable Energy Zone Assessment
* GeoSights: Wall Arch—A Fallen Giant
* Survey News
* Teacher’s Corner
* New Publications
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Several specialized programs comprise the UGS: Data Management, Energy & Minerals, Geologic Hazards, Geologic Information & Outreach, Geologic Mapping, Groundwater & Wetlands, and Paleontology.