Landscape Arch

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Landscape Arch is the longest of the many natural rock arches located in the Arches National Park in the U.S. state of Utah. The arch is among many in the area known as Devil's Garden in the north area of the park. It can be reached by short walk/hike along a maintained trail.

It was named by Frank Beckwith, leader of the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, who explored the area in the winter of 1933-1934 (The amusing story that the names of Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch were inadvertently exchanged due to a signage mixup by the Park Service unfortunately is not factual).

A confirmed span of 290 feet (88.3 m) places Landscape Arch as second in the list of the world's longest spans, beaten by a mere 4 feet (1.2 m) by Kolob Arch located in Zion National Park in the U.S. state of Utah. The length of Kolob, while somewhat disputed, is still generally considered to be longer, and while some controversy may remain as to which arch actually deserves the title of "longest", it may not be a debate that lasts much longer. Since 1991, three large slabs of sandstone measuring 30, 47, and 70 feet (9.1, 14, and 21 m) long have been witnessed collapsing from the thinnest section of Landscape Arch, forcing the park service to close the trail that once passed beneath it. This has led to speculation that the arch is slowly falling apart, and while there is no way to estimate the time remaining, there is some question as to whether it will long remain for visitors to see.