The Geologic Story of Arches National Park: Geological Survey Bulletin 1393Lohman, Stanley William
Science
The Geologic Story of Arches National Park: Geological Survey Bulletin 1393
Lohman, Stanley William
Arches National Park (Utah); Geology -- Utah -- Arches National Park -- Guidebooks
Devils Garden in general and the campground in particular are on the
crest of a ridge separating Salt Valley to the southwest from the Sagers
Wash syncline to the northeast, which lies north of Yellow Cat Flat and
north of the area shown in figure 1. From the higher parts of the
campground striking views are to be had toward the north and northeast,
particularly late in the afternoon, as shown in figure 50.
[Illustration: VIEW NORTH FROM CAMPGROUND, in late afternoon.
Reddish Slick Rock Member capped by light-colored Moab Member are
seen dipping northeastward toward Sagers Wash syncline. Book Cliffs,
north of Thompson, are 16 miles north on left skyline. (Fig. 50)]
In about the middle of the one-way loop at the end of the park road is a
well that supplies water to the campground from early in the spring
until the return of freezing weather late in the fall. The well, which
was drilled in 1962 to a depth of 900 feet, obtains a small amount of
water from the Wingate Sandstone. No water was found in the overlying
Navajo and Entrada Sandstones because of the pronounced dip of the rocks
toward the northeast, which allows any water in these rocks to drain
northeastward (Ted Arnow, written commun., 1963). Water from this well
is pumped to a steel tank in a high part of the campground, whence it
flows by gravity to the three sets of restrooms.
[Illustration: SOUTHEASTERN PART OF DEVILS GARDEN TRAIL, viewed
northwestward. Narrow slot between fins of Slick Rock Member
indicates local spacing of joints. (Fig. 51)]
At the northwest end of the one-way loop is a large parking area for use
by people hiking the Devils Garden trail. This trail leads to seven of
the most interesting arches in the park, all of which are in the Slick
Rock Member, and there are many more farther to the northwest. The
approximate distances to the seven arches are given in the paragraphs
that follow. The trail is paved for about 1 mile as far as Landscape
Arch (fig. 53), but from there to Double O Arch (fig. 56) the trail is
primitive, and the Park Service recommends rubber soles as part of the
trail is on bare sandstone. For these reasons, many visitors hike only
as far as Landscape Arch.
[Illustration: PINE TREE ARCH, viewed northeastward. Opening is 46
feet wide and 48 feet high. Fin is 30 feet thick. (Fig. 52)]
Much of the trail, particularly the first part, lies in a narrow slot
between fins of the Slick Rock Member, as shown in figure 51. After
about half a mile, a side trail to the north leads to a Y, the
right-hand fork of which goes to Tunnel Arch (fig. 14). The left-hand
fork leads to Pine Tree Arch, obviously named for the piñon pine framed
by this arch (fig. 52).
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