Tag Archive: moab

Dead Utah Juniper Orange Sand Arches National Park – Moab

Dead Utah Juniper Orange Sand Arches National Park - Moab

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A gnarly branch of a dead Utah Juniper tree (Juniperus osteosperma), lying across the orange sand commonly found in Arches National Park, in Utah’s desert canyon region. Part of the Colorado Plateau region of the American Southwest.

Arches National Park is famous for its sandstone arches, which form from the Entrada Sandstone that lies across the park, and which is responsible for the sand seen here. More than 2000 arches exist in the park, and have formed over thousands and in some cases millions of years, due largely to wind, rain, and the freeze/thaw cycle during the year.

Desert Meander of the Colorado River – Moab, Utah

Desert Meander of the Colorado River - Moab, Utah

A view of a meander in the Colorado River east of Moab, near Red Cliff Lodge. Parriott Mesa and the Castle Valley can be seen in the distance. Parriot Mesa is named after Dale M. Parriott, who was a Moab settler, and owned a ranch house in Castle Valley. Moab is located in Utah’s red rock country, part of the Colorado Plateau region and gateway to Arches National Park, and Canyonlands.

Double Arch And The Milky Way – Utah

Double Arch and the Milky Way - Arches National Park - Moab, Utah. Black and White version.

Double Arch and the Milky Way – Arches National Park – Moab, Utah. Black and White version.

The larger of the natural sandstone arches is 148 feet across, and is one of the largest of the 2000 arches found within the park. The larger of the natural sandstone arches is 148 feet across, and is one of the largest of the 2000 arches found within the park. The geologic Entrada sandstone layer that covers much of the park is ideal for creating natural arches over thousands and millions of years, through a combination of wind and water erosion, as well as the seasonal freeze and thaw cycle.