Sandstone

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch is one of Utah's most famous icons and can be seen on magazine covers, tourist guides and on Utah's license plates. The classic view of the arch requires a 1.5 mile (one way) moderately strenuous hike leading up a steep slit rock trail from the parking area at Wolfe Ranch. It is an exhilarating hike and well worth the effort. There are times that the hike is not feasible whether it be rainy weather or traveling with people that cannot traverse the steep climb. In these instances, there is a viewpoint that gives a good view of the arch, albeit from a very different perspective. The viewpoint is about a mile from the arch and it was from this vantage point that I took this shot. There are normally lots of people around and under the arch, but for some unexplained reason, there were very few people there (the ones that were there were at the mercy of the content-aware brush).