Nature
Delicate Arch, a fifty-two-foot freestanding arch of Entrada Sandstone near Moab in Arches National Park, became the park’s best-known landmark and a widely recognized symbol of Utah through its appearance on license plates and a centennial postage stamp. Formed by the erosion of a sandstone fin, it was once known by colorful local nicknames before Frank Beckwith gave it its modern name during the 1933–1934 Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition. Added to the monument only in 1938, it later figured in debates over preservation and use, including a fire started beneath it in 2000 and climbing controversies that led to a year-round ban on climbing named arches.
Hear stories like this as you drive
ExploreHere reads historical markers out loud as you pass them: over 325,000 stories across the US. No account needed.
4.7 · 800+ ratings · Free
FIND IT
Utah · United States
