Wall Arch facts for kids
Wall Arch was a huge, natural rock formation located in Arches National Park in southeastern Utah, United States. It was one of over 2,000 natural arches found in the park. Before it fell apart in 2008, Wall Arch was the 12th largest arch in the park.
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What Was Wall Arch?
Wall Arch was a natural arch made of sandstone. A natural arch is a rock formation that has a hole or opening through it, created by natural forces like wind and water over a very long time.
How Big Was Wall Arch?
At its biggest, the opening under Wall Arch was about 71 feet (22 m) wide. That's like the length of two school buses! It was also about 33.5 feet (10 m) high. The arch was made from a type of rock called Entrada Sandstone.
Who Found Wall Arch?
Wall Arch was first officially reported and given its name in 1948. A person named Lewis T. McKinney was the one who discovered and named it.
The Collapse of Wall Arch
Wall Arch collapsed, meaning it fell down, sometime between the night of August 4 and the morning of August 5, 2008. No one actually saw it happen.
What Happened After the Collapse?
When Wall Arch collapsed, it temporarily blocked a popular walking path called the Devil's Garden Trail. This was the first time a major arch in Arches National Park had fallen since parts of Landscape Arch collapsed in 1991.
Park officials from the National Park Service and experts from the Utah Geological Survey visited the site a few days later, on August 7. They looked at the remaining rock formations and noticed some cracks. These cracks showed that other parts of the rock might also fall apart in the future.
