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Arches National Park
Welcome to Arches National Park home to over 2,000 sandstone arches including the world famous Delicate Arch.
Park History: The rocks inside Arches National Park help to expose millions of years of geological history. The colorful rocks of Arches National Park have attracted people for thousands of years but the earliest visitors, the Native Americans, did not come as much for the site-seeing as they did for hunting and gathering. They entered the region at the end of the last ice age over 10,000 years ago and while hunting they discovered many valuable rocks for making weapons and tools including chert and chalcedony. While chipping away at the stones they left piles of debris that can still be seen today. About 2,000 years ago Native Americans such as the Fremonts and Puebloans began cultivating certain plants in the Four Corners region such as beans, maize, and squash. They built villages similar to the ones at Mesa Verde National Park. Most of the Fremonts and Publoans left the region over seven centuries ago but many of these peoples descendants live around the park today.
Around the time the first Europeans arrived in the region in 1776 the Utes and Paiutes were the dominant rulers of the land. The petroglyph near Wolf Ranch shows Utes on horseback which means that it's relatively young considering the Utes did not have horses until the Spanish arrived. The Spanish empire began spreading as the Spaniards sought travel routes to California. The old Spanish trail linking Santa Fe to Los Angeles ran right past the park visitor center. The first permanent European settlements in Utah were established when the Mormons arrived. They attempted to establish the Elk Mountain Mission in 1855 at what is now Moab. The Utes started an uprising however, and the attempts to build the mission were abandoned.
In the late 19th century Moab became a permanent settlement of prospecters, farmers, and ranchers. One settler, Civil War veteran John Wesley Wolfe, built his homestead, the Wolfe Ranche, inside what is now Arches National Park in 1898. Wolfe eventually moved back to Ohio but his cabin remains. In the early 20th century a reported for the Moab Newspaper wrote many articles about the region's magnificent landscapes helping to spread the word. In 1923, a prospector named Alexander Ringhoffer wrote the Rio Grande Western Railroad in an attempt to publicize the area and create a National Park. He showed the railroad executives the magnificent landscapes and told them how they could make money by bringing passengers to the region. They were very impressed and helped Ringhoffer in his efforts.
On April 12, 1929, the legislation creating Arches National Monument was signed by President Herbert Hoover. On November 12, 1971 Congress promoted it to National Park status and today it remains a magnificent world wonder.
Flora and Fauna: Arches National Park helps protect the home of numerous plant and animals species. Some of the plants that grow inside the park boundaries include Utah Junipers, pinyon pines, prickly pear cacti, and yuccas. Some of the wild animals who call this place home include mule deer, red foxes, kangaroo rats, cottontails, bighorn sheep, and mountain lions. Please treat their home with respect.
For the lover of the outdoors Arches National Park boasts numerous hiking trails, excellent rocks for climbing, and so much more. Come on out and explore!
This was RecPlanet place of the day on October 11, 2016.
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