Landscape Arch, Double O Arch Trail, Arches National Park, Utah

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Looking up towards Landscape Arch with its needle-like land bridge, which is the longest in the park (306 ft at its widest). At only 6 ft in diameter at its thinnest, it was once thicker until a large portion came crashing down in the 1990s.  The rubble field may be seen below to the right.

Moderate, 6.08 mi Out and back with spurs to other arches

*May be shortened to easy if stopping at Landscape Arch

919 ft elevation gain

Hiked 12/19/23

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCCv2w

Takes you to several different arches; including Tunnel, Pine Tree, Navajo, and Partition Arches along with a few ‘lesser’ arches. Easily gets to Landscape Arch, the longest in the Park, before a moderate ascension along the fin-like slabs of sandstone with steep drop offs to reach Double O Arch.

Looking back towards the La Sal Mountains to the east, still coated in the glow of the early morning sun. On each side of the sandstone slab lies a steep drop off.

A large rock structure to the right frames the valley of sandstone below under cottony clouds.

Double O Arch from up close, the lower O to the right is big enough to comfortably sit in, but not stand.

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https://youtu.be/LVLRIRo7z_s

Myron rambles a bit but it’s still really cool to see and understand why arches national Park is the way that it is. Never would have guessed “salt did it” but it do.

Thanks for that, was super informative. I always have enough wonder with a third of the country being a massive inland sea, adding that a large inlet of hyper saline is would domino effect to all these arches is just wild.

Comments from other communities

Can you walk across it?

After the big chunk fell off of Landscape arch in the 90s they put up a wooden fence that keeps you 100 ft or more from it, which is where I was standing when taking that photo for reference. All other arches in the park that have an opening of 3 ft or more are not allowed to be walked on, so probably not even the smaller of the Double O arches although it may be small enough.

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