Park geography

Examining the expansive plateau geography, elevation ranges, and natural landmarks of the region.

Arches National Park: geography

Location: Utah, United States of America. Recorded area: 310.31 km². Elevation: 1,245–1,723 m.

World's highest concentration of natural sandstone arches in Utah's high desert

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is a United States national park in eastern Utah, renowned for preserving more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the iconic Delicate Arch. The park sits on the Colorado Plateau just 4 miles north of Moab, covering over 76,000 acres of high desert terrain. This extraordinary landscape was shaped by an underground salt bed deposited approximately 300 million years ago, with erosion from water, ice, and wind carving the remarkable arches, spires, balanced rocks, and monoliths visible today. The park contains the world's highest density of natural arches, making it a singular geological treasure that showcases the power of natural forces operating over millennia.

Location: United States of America
Park type: National park
Established: 1971
Area: 310.3 km²
Highest point: 1,723 m

Arches National Park Protected Area

Location overview

Regional location and administrative status within the United States

Geographic Setting and Regional Context of Arches National Park

Arches National Park is situated within the state of Utah in the United States of America. National park records show a single-jurisdiction protected area with no coastal, island, marine, or transboundary designations.

Countries: United States of America
Regions: Utah
Primary location: Utah
Geographic setting: Inland

Boundary and coordinates

Analyzing the 310 square kilometer geographic footprint and spatial extent.

Geographic Boundaries and Spatial Mapping of Arches National Park

Interactive boundary geometry traces the protected perimeter to provide clear spatial context. Regional facts define the total area of 310.31 square kilometers along with calculated coordinates and geographic spans.

Boundary area: 308.9 km²
Boundary perimeter: 131.2 km
Northernmost point: 38.847° N
Southernmost point: 38.6047° N
Easternmost point: 109.4777° W
Westernmost point: 109.7131° W
Geographic centre: 38.7228° N, 109.5864° W
North–south span: 26.9 km
East–west span: 20.5 km

Arches National Park

Elevation and terrain

Upland topography spanning recorded heights from 1245 to 1723 meters.

Arches National Park Terrain and Elevation Range Explorer

Recorded park elevations range between a minimum of 1245 meters and a maximum of 1723 meters across upland terrain. Linked feature cards provide names, types, measurements, and spatial relationships for recorded natural features.

Elevation span

478 m

Vertical extent from the lowest to the highest recorded elevation in the park

Minimum elevation: 1,245 m
Maximum elevation: 1,723 m
Highest point: 1,723 m

Selected named natural features

Natural arches

Covert Arch

Cliffs

Klondike Bluffs

1,649 m

Viewpoints

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

Streams

North Fork of MMI Canyon

Viewpoints

Pine Tree Arch Viewpoint

Viewpoints

South Window Viewpoint

Arches National Park Natural Features

Environmental setting

Stored desert habitats, arid climate zones, and upland plateau relief

Arches National Park Environmental Classifications and Physical Setting

Recorded classifications organize plateau terrain, desert habitats, and arid climates into complementary interpretive categories for the landscape. Connected database links direct researchers toward related protected areas sharing matching environmental traits.

Relief: Upland
Climate: Arid
Water: No major water
Forest cover: No forest cover
Seasonality: Year-round

Landscape features

Plateau · Cliffs

Habitat types

Desert habitat · Grassland

Park atlas

Discover the unique protected landscapes and regional geography surrounding Arches National Park, mapping similar high desert environments.

Compare Other National Parks and Protected Areas Near Arches National Park

Continue your exploration from Arches National Park by browsing other nearby national parks and protected areas, tracing the distinct sandstone geology and high desert terrain of the Colorado Plateau. Compare conservation landscapes across the surrounding region, understanding the geographic spread and varied natural arch formations that define this iconic protected-area atlas.

A watercolor painting showing a panoramic view of rolling green mountains with a winding stream through a forested valley.

Protected landscapeUtah

3.5 km away#1 closest

West

Manti, La Sal National Forest: Geographic Overview of Utah's Mountain and Canyon Landscapes

Mapped protected forest boundaries across the Colorado Plateau

Spanning over one million acres, Manti, La Sal National Forest defines a critical segment of Utah geography. This protected landscape encompasses diverse terrain including subalpine mountains, aspen-rich uplands, and deep canyon networks. Use this atlas to examine the distinct environmental characteristics that separate the northern forested plateaus from the southern wilderness canyons.

Area: 5,143.09 km²
Established: 1950
IUCN: V
Visitors: 900K annual

Manti, La Sal National Forest Geography

A stylized, flat-design illustration of a desert canyon landscape with mesas, a winding river, and distant buttes under a soft sunset sky.

National parkUtah

17 km away#2 closest

South

Canyonlands National Park

Explore its vast geography and protected area boundaries.

Canyonlands National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: canyons, plateaus, and hills.

Area: 1,366.21 km²
Established: 1964
IUCN: II
Visitors: 818.5K annual

Canyonlands National Park Protected Area Atlas

A horizontal watercolor painting showing a soft-focus landscape with a pale river winding through desert terrain under a hazy sky, with stylized cacti in the foreground.

Protected landscapeUnited States of America

36 km away#3 closest

Southwest

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area: Protected Landscape and High Desert Geography Map

Colorado Plateau canyons, sandstone strata, and reservoir environments

Explore the geological architecture of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a vast federal protected landscape. The area showcases towering Navajo Sandstone cliffs, deep blue reservoir arms, and remote backcountry canyons that exemplify the distinct high desert terrain of the Colorado Plateau in the United States.

Area: 5,075.23 km²
Established: 1972
Visitors: 5.2M annual
Relief: Upland

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Atlas

A soft watercolor illustration depicting a flat-topped mountain landscape with a line of trees and a foreground meadow.

Protected landscapeColorado

59 km away#4 closest

East

Grand Mesa National Forest: A Comprehensive Atlas of Colorado High-Plateau Geography

Mapping the basalt-capped flat-top mountain terrain

Grand Mesa National Forest stands as a primary protected landscape within the Colorado Rockies, characterized by its signature basalt-capped plateau. This forest unit serves as a vital geographic landmark, offering unique insights into high-altitude mountain terrain, subalpine water systems, and historical forest conservation. Learn about the boundaries and physical landscape features that define this massive elevated tableland above the surrounding dry valleys.

Area: 1,402.46 km²
Established: 1892
Relief: Highland
Climate: Alpine

Grand Mesa National Forest Protected Area

A digital illustration showing a dry canyon trail leading between steep reddish rock cliffs with desert shrubs in the foreground under a light blue and lavender sky.

Wildlife reserveColorado

80 km away#5 closest

East

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness: Protected Sandstone Canyons of the Uncompahgre Plateau

An expansive BLM wilderness area in western Colorado.

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness protects a diverse landscape of sandstone cliffs, benches, and deep drainage systems that descend from the Uncompahgre Plateau. The geography spans high-desert mesa tops and lush riparian canyons, offering a significant protected area within the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area framework.

Area: 268.2 km²
Established: 2009
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Upland

Explore Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Geography

Digital illustration of a rugged mountain range behind a dense conifer forest, featuring a foreground wooden gate and a small rustic cabin.

Protected landscapeColorado

102 km away#6 closest

Southeast

San Juan National Forest: Geographic Overview of a Major Southern Colorado Protected Landscape

Mapped terrain across the Southern San Juan Mountains

San Juan National Forest represents a massive protected landscape in western Colorado, defined by its rugged alpine peaks, dense conifer forests, and glacial valleys. This atlas entry details the forest boundary, its position along the Continental Divide, and the surrounding transition into the Colorado Plateau. It provides a structured look at the terrain that connects diverse ecosystems, from high-altitude tundra to expansive mesa country, within one of the largest national forests in the American West.

Area: 7,603.42 km²
Established: 1905
Relief: Mountain
Climate: Alpine

San Juan National Forest Geography

A flat-style digital illustration of a desert canyon landscape with tall rock formations, sparse desert shrubs, and a bright sun in a pale sky.

National parkUtah

133 km away#7 closest

West

Capitol Reef National Park

Explore Capitol Reef National Park's mapped terrain and boundaries.

Capitol Reef National Park, in Utah, United States of America. Landscapes: mountains, valleys, and plateaus.

Area: 978.95 km²
Established: 1971
IUCN: II
Visitors: 1.4M annual

Capitol Reef National Park Protected Landscape

A stylized illustration of a deep canyon with steep, textured rock walls, pine trees in the foreground, and layers of distant hills under a soft sky.

National parkMontrose County

144 km away#8 closest

East

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: Protected Area Geography and Mapped Landscape

Explore the natural terrain and protected boundaries in Montrose County.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a national park defined by its profound geological features and its status as a protected landscape. Located within Montrose County, it offers a distinct geographic profile for atlas-based exploration. Users can understand the park's mapped boundaries, its relation to the surrounding regional geography, and the unique natural terrain that defines this protected area, contributing to a structured discovery of its natural landscape identity.

Area: 124.4 km²
Established: 1999
IUCN: II
Visitors: 357.1K annual

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Atlas

MoriAtlas Explorer

Arches National Park

Explore the map, landscapes, and protection details for Arches National Park.

Browse next

Countries→Continents→Parks→

Global natural geography

Arches National Park Protected Area

Explore related park routes

Explore MoriAtlas Global Parks Browse All MoriAtlas Parks Global Park Map Discovery MoriAtlas: Browse All Countries Browse All MoriAtlas Continents National Park Environment Atlas Grand Canyon National Park Atlas Yellowstone National Park Atlas Yosemite National Park Atlas and Geography Serengeti National Park Atlas Galápagos National Park Protected Landscape Banff National Park Geography and Atlas Kruger National Park Atlas Entry Explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Geography Plitvice Lakes National Park Atlas Fiordland National Park Protected Landscape Great Smoky Mountains National Park Atlas Zion National Park Protected Landscape Atlas Afghanistan National Parks and Protected Areas Albania National Parks and Protected Areas Algeria National Parks and Protected Areas American Samoa National Parks and Protected Areas Andorra National Parks and Protected Areas Angola National Parks and Protected Areas Antarctica National Parks and Protected Areas Antigua and Barbuda Park List