Arches National Park: Moab

Arches National Park is known for its natural sandstone arches, carved by hundreds of years of wind, water, and weather. This park has over 2,000 of them! Delicate Arch, featured on one version of the Utah license plate, is probably the world's most famous sandstone arch. An arch, by the way, is basically an exposed rock that has a hole in it formed by natural forces. A natural bridge is a type of arch, but it was specifically formed by water which may or may not still be flowing beneath. But no matter how you define them, natural arches are beautiful and just plain cool.

Most people head to Arches to get in somehiking and backpacking, biking, climbing, and photography. The first visitors showed up about 10,000 years ago. They're still coming to see the amazing features of this spectacular example of nature's complex and colorful rock designs, such as the popular Fiery Furnace. And although one touring Frenchman left his name etched into the rock back in 1844, please don't do so today; while his graffiti is protected by law, yours will be prosecuted by it! A National Park since 1971, Arches is a common inclusion in a Southwestern loop tour that many visitors take.

Explore Balanced Rock or the super-thin, super-pretty Landscape Arch if you have kids with you. For more challenging excursions, head to the Windows area and check out its Primitive Loop Hike. And everywhere you go, make sure to bring along your camera as you try to capture these most elegant natural structures.