This was my first visit to Arches, and certainly will not be the last. This particular photo was taken at a point where an old mobile home sat many years ago, inhabited by a seasonal park ranger who was a bit of a recluse, but spoke to millions. An environmentalist before the word was common, a philosopher and poet, but most importantly a man who loved the desert and tried to convey the message to get out and visit these lands and leave them as we found them. Drawing on his experiences and inspired by his surroundings he penned the classic “Desert Solitaire.” It was an honor to look around and imagine I was seeing this world through his eyes. Sitting there I thought about our impact on the parks, and appreciated the fact that they are here for us to enjoy. The words I had read from the late authors’ works weighed on my mind, and closing my eyes I realized what an inspiration they had been to me, how they had shown me the beauty of the area long before I set foot on it. Before I opened my eyes I thought I could see a faint smile on the bearded and sun-wrinkled face of Edward Abbey.
Sincerely,
Arches National Park
With more than 2,000 natural stone arches, this landmark park offers more of these distinctive rock formations than anywhere else in the world. Wind and water, extreme temperatures, and a shifting underground salt bed sculpted the red rock over time into the area's spectacular and often delicate shapes. These arches can be large and impressive like the famous Delicate Arch, or just slivers in the sandstone.
State(s): Utah
Established: 1929
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