Standing at 60 ft tall, the Delicate Arch is certainly not one of the tallest in the park. But this iconic formation has a special charm that has attracted people from all over the world. You might be asking, “what’s with the name?” Well, it has actually had a few. In the past, it was called Bloomers, referring to a lady's undergarment, or simply Pants Crotch.
So...yeah...Aren’t you so glad someone came up with a more dignified name? But true to those names, the arch does look like 2 skinny pant legs. The word “delicate” describes the one leg that has been severely eroded and is expected to collapse sometime in the foreseeable future.
You see, the delicate arch, like many other arches in the park, used to be a rock fin until erosion turned it into an arch. From here, it’ll further erode into 2 hoodoos. In fact, a plan was proposed by a park ranger, to protect the arch by coating it in plastic! Haha can you believe it? However, it never materialized. You see, although we wish for this magnificent arch to be there for generations to enjoy, sometimes we have to let nature take its course.
Coming up, follow the sign and turn right for the Delicate Arch. Again, take a right ahead.
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