Natural arch collapses in Glen Canyon

On Thursday, the life of a natural stone arch came to an end, according to a press release from the National Park Service.

“Double Arch” — also nicknamed the “Crescent Pool”, “Hole in the Roof” and, less poetically, the “Toilet Bowl” — was a favorite of visitors to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in northern Arizona and southern Utah. The park also features parts of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Orange Cliffs.

National Park rangers confirmed that no one was injured in the collapse.

One-hundred-ninety-million-year-old Navajo sandstone composed Double Arch since it formed sometime in the late Triassic or early Jurassic period. Over the course of millions of years, wind and water eroded the arch to the point that it fell Thursday.

“This event serves as a reminder of our responsibility and need to protect the mineral resources surrounding Lake Powell,” said Glen Canyon’s superintendent Michelle Kerns in a statement. “These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions. While we don’t know what caused this collapse, we will continue to maintain our resource protection efforts on Lake Powell for future generations to enjoy. Please enjoy our resources but leave no trace.”

Planning your southern Utah road trip

August is winding quickly away to school season — meaning that, for those families willing to brave the blazing temperatures of southern Utah, it is travel season.

If you want to catch views of Utah’s abundant stone arches before they all collapse (which is unlikely to happen anytime soon, according to the National Park Service ), here is a guide to some of our favorites.

Delicate Arch

A list of Utah’s arches would not be complete without Delicate Arch , which graces the state license plate and headlines the world-renowned Arches National Park in Moab. Formed from Entrada sandstone, Delicate Arch has stood for millions of years.

It also attracts millions of visitors every year. When road tripping to Delicate Arch, you will need to practice good timing and plenty of patience if you want to take a photo free of other tourists.

Rainbow Bridge

Lake Powell in northern Arizona welcomes adventurers and casual tourists every summer. Its waters provide convenient access to Rainbow Bridge , which Native Americans believe to be sacred. It spans part of Forbidding Canyon, about 50 miles away from Lake Powell’s dam.

You can take a hike up through miles of rocky canyon, boat up to the bridge yourself or book a tour.

Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon looks just like the bridge of a castle. The nice thing about this arch is that you don’t have to hike to get to it: When driving through Bryce Canyon, you can just pull off at the Natural Bridge lookout point.

The National Park Service says the bridge looks a little like a window, too. Though the trees waving through the rocks may not be the same ones that lived when the bridge first formed, when you look through Natural Bridge, you are still peering through a frame of the past.

Mesa Arch

Mesa Arch is so named because of its station at the edge of the top of a mesa in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. It is a hiker’s favorite for the panoramic views it offers of the La Sal Mountains, far in the distance.

It is another one of Utah’s most-photographed arches. If you come at sunrise, you may catch groups of photographers with their cameras pointed toward the arch for a shot of morning sunshine on the rocks.

Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch claims the spot of the world’s longest arch — though it may not be for long; it has been shedding itself for centuries, at times losing pieces as large as cars. Visitors may no longer stand directly beneath the arch for this reason.

You may visit this skinny, 290-foot feat of nature by traveling the Devils Garden in Arches National Park in Moab.