Arch Rock

Arch Rock was a natural arch on the coast of Santa Monica Bay south of Topanga Canyon in present-day Los Angeles County. Located at what is now 18412 Pacific Coast Highway, it became a popular stop for day-trippers from early Santa Monica. Before coastal highways, a coach road passed beneath the arch at low tide. On the evening of March 24, 1906, the formation disappeared, either through collapse or secret demolition. One account ties its destruction to plans for an automobile-friendly coast route, while another blames a railroad crew using dynamite. Its loss shows how early transportation projects altered the California shoreline.

Topanga, California · United States