Druid Arch is an iconic 150-foot tall

Cedar Mesa Sandstone Cedar Mesa Sandstone (also known as the Cedar Mesa Formation) is a sandstone memberThe Cutler Formation is sometimes classified as the Cutler Group, in which case Cedar Mesa Sandstone is classified as a formation rather than a member. of the C ...

arch located within the Needles District of

Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands National Park is an American national park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their ...

, in

San Juan County, Utah San Juan County ( ) is a county in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 14,746. Its county seat is Monticello, while its most populous city is Blanding. The Utah State Le ...

. It is situated at the head of Elephant Canyon, and precipitation

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock market ...

from Druid Arch drains north into the nearby

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

via Elephant Canyon. Druid Arch is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Needles district. A 5.4 mile hike to Druid Arch starts at the Elephant Hill Trailhead, and the final quarter-mile is steep with some

scrambling Scrambling is a mountaineering term for ascending steep terrain using one's hands to assist in holds and balance.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. It is also used to describe terrain that falls between hiking and rock climbing (as a “scram ...

and one ladder. The name comes from its resemblance to the

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting ...

monument in England, which is believed to be a

Druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Wh ...

temple.Rod Martinez, ''The Best Canyonlands National Park Hikes'', Colorado Mountain Club, 2015. This feature's name was officially adopted in 1963 by the

U.S. Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

Geology

This geological feature is an eroded

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

composed of Cedar Mesa Sandstone, which is the remains of coastal

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

deposited about 245–286 million years ago, during the early

Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. It is the last period of the Pale ...

period. The top of the formation rises 450 feet above the canyon floor, and two keyhole openings have a height of 85 feet, and a width of 20 feet.

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Druid Arch. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, it is located in a

Cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-a ...

zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below −0 °C (32 °F) and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.

Gallery

Druid Arch, Canyonlands National Park.jpg, East aspect File:Druid Arch backside.jpeg, West aspect File:Leaving Druid Arch. (9862427374).jpg, edgewise from north

References

External links

{{commons category, Druid Arch
Canyonlands National Park
National Park Service * Druid Arc
Weather forecast
* Druid Arch
YouTube
Landforms of San Juan County, Utah Natural arches of San Juan County, Utah Natural arches of Utah Colorado Plateau Canyonlands National Park Sandstone formations of the United States

Geology

Climate

Gallery

See also

References

External links