Delicate Arch,
Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch is the epitome of Arches National Park in southeast Utah. You can't drive anywhere near it, which only adds to its allure. You must walk. It's a fairly strenuous hike of 1.5 miles, but well worth it. Expect to take about an hour each way. As far as how long to spend at the arch when you get there, be prepared to sit and gawk in awe for quite a while. If you find yourself hanging around as if you have no car or hotel or home to return to, don't say I didn't warn you.

Delicate Arch is a natural freestanding sandstone arch, one of over 2,000 arches within the park. There are innumerable aspects to this park that are mindblowing. Like many, I was first introduced to the park and the surrounding region via Edward Abbey's classic personal history narrative Desert Solitaire.

In this photograph, the warm afternoon sun lights up the area from the south. In the far distance are the La Sal Mountains, which are far outside the Park, east of Moab.

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