54 Arches National Park-Mid

Arches National Park FOCUS Question What are the forces that shape arches?

The Land of Arches Arches National Park is in Utah. It has been a national park since 1971. The park is special because it has tall red rocks in many different shapes.

Some of those shapes are arches. Natural arches are sections of rock with openings in them. Arches are like natural windows. You can see right through the opening in the rocks! Let's learn how arches form. Wowser! Arches National Park has more than two thousand arches! The park has more arches in one spot than any other place in the world.

A Changing Land Arches National Park has a soft kind of rock—and lots of it! The rock is called sandstone. Wind and rain can wear away rocks especially soft rocks, Over time, the rocks. change shape. Do You Know? The sandstone rocks in the park have a lot of a mineral called iron. Iron gives the rocks their red color.

Many years ago, this part of Utah looked different. The land was flat. Over time, the sandstone began to break apart. Long cracks formed in the rocks.

Fins Up! As cracks formed, rain filled the spaces in the sandstone. Some of the soft rock washed away. In cold weather, ice broke the rocks even more. Now the rocks looked like slices of bread standing up! These slices of rock are called fins.