We hiked to the Kolob Arch in September 2014, and thought it needed an earthcache. The hike is 13.7 miles round trip and a bit of scramble in the last half mile. I would suggest hiking it in the cooler months. I recommend 5 liters of water for each person. The hike to Kolob Arch can be done with one long day hike, or broken into a two day backpack trip. Zion has a limit of 12 people per group entering the wilderness area.
When looking at the Koblob Arch at the end of the trail, look 90 degrees to your right at the south facing rock wall. There is a newly forming arch.
To get credit for this earthcache, send us an e-mail with answers to the following questions about the new arch:
1. Is the new arch at a higher or lower elevation than the Kolbob Arch?
2. Will the new arch be longer (wider) or shorter than the Kolob Arch?
3. Is the new arch located on the same or on a different layer of sandstone?
A natural arch is formed when deep cracks penetrate into a sandstone layer. Erosion wears away the exposed rock layers and the surface cracks expand, isolating narrow sandstone walls, or fins. Water, frost, and the release of tensions in the rock cause crumbling and flaking of the porous sandstone and eventually cut through some of the fins. The resulting holes become enlarged to arch proportions by rockfalls and weathering. Architecturally, arches are the most stable load bearing structure, but through weathering, eventually all arches collapse, leaving only buttresses that will inevitably give way to the unyielding forces of erosion.
Worldwide, arches number in the tens of thousands, and probably no place is more suited for their creation than the Colorado Plateau, home of Zion National Park. The vast geology of Zion has created environments as widespread and varied as the topography of the park itself. Hidden in its geologic grandeur are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of freestanding arches of all shapes and sizes. Although freestanding arches may be found in many different types of geologic formations, the Navajo Sandstone formation, which makes up the magnificent cliffs of Zion, provides a fertile setting for the creation of these ribbons of rock.
Among the many arches in Zion, two stand out: Crawford Arch and Kolob Arch. Crawford Arch is the most visible, clinging to the base of Bridge Mountain a thousand feet above the canyon floor, and pointed out to casual observers by an interpretive sign located on the front patio of the Human History Museum. For years, rangers in Zion told visitors that this span was a natural bridge (thus the mountain’s name). The Natural Arch and Bridge Society identifies a bridge as a subtype of arch that is primarily water-formed, so by geologic standards it is an arch and in the last years of the twentieth century was referred to as “The arch on Bridge Mountain.” To avoid confusion, the National Park Service eventually named the span Crawford Arch in honor of the Crawford family--among the first Mormon settlers called to the canyon, who toiled and farmed beneath its watchful gaze. Although undoubtedly seen by Zion’s Native Peoples for centuries, the names they gave to this arch in the sky have been lost in the mists of time.
The other famous arch in Zion is not so easily seen. Located deep in the backcountry of Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyons District, and hidden in a small side canyon, sits Kolob Arch, perched high on the canyon wall with a majestic curve like a giant condor’s wing. Because of its remote location and virtual inaccessibility, Kolob Arch for years has challenged cowboys, rangers, hikers, climbers, and photographers alike. For most of the twentieth century many believed that Kolob was in fact the world’s largest freestanding arch, leading to years of debate and the motivation for various parties of adventurous thrill seekers to climb on and around the massive span in hopes of securing a defensible measurement.
Despite its isolated location, Kolob Arch has become a favorite backcountry destination for thousands of visitors to Zion. They discover what most arch seekers will tell you: while beauty awaits every seeker at the end of the path, the reward begins unfolding at the trailhead. Along the trail to Kolob Arch lies some of the most beautiful scenery in Zion. Geology becomes art as the La Verkin Creek, with its soothing sounds of life-giving water, sculpts some of the most colorful canyon walls in Southwestern Utah. Awe inspiring views of the Kolob Terrace along the trail give a tired hiker many places to stop and recharge while gazing upon the high plateau country of Zion. Wildlife abounds in these protected canyons and hikers will encounter reptiles, birds, and mammals. Seven miles along the trail, one is rewarded with a sight not seen by most of Zion’s two and a half million annual visitors, the impressive expanse of Kolob Arch. Most experts now agree that Kolob Arch is not the world’s largest span in terms of measurement by width and size, but visitors concur with the claim that it is certainly one of the most beautiful and massive arches in creation surrounded and protected by the majestic scenery of Zion.