Broken Arch is a feature at Arches National Park, which is five miles north of Moab in Utah along Highway 191. It is approximately four hours from the international airport at Salt Lake City. The Greyhound bus service travels along Interstate 70, making stops at Grand Junction, Colorado and Green River, Utah, whilst commercial van services operate between Moab and Salt Lake City as well as Grand Junction.
The park has over 2,000 cataloged natural sandstone arches including the famous Delicate Arch and Broken Arch, as well asmany other unusual rock formations. Arches are defined by having an opening measuring at least three feet in any direction caused by the forces of nature, which in Arches National Park has exposed millions of years of geological history. Visitors here can see a landscape of varying colors, landforms and textures that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.
The Broken Arch trail starts at the Sand Dune Arch parking area or Devils Garden campground across from campsite #40 and is approximately two kilometers in length. This should take between 30 and 60 minutes to hike as it cuts across a large meadow to the arch and continues to the campground. Visitors can extend the trail by taking a loop trail through canyons with sand dunes and slick rock, which will add an extra 1.2 kilometers to the trip.
The aforementioned Devils Garden Campground is located eighteen miles from the park entrance and is open throughout the year and can accommodate RV's up to 30 feet in length. Here campers will have access to potable water, picnic tables, grills as well as both pit-style and flush toilets, but there are no showers. Visitors wishing to camp here will need to bring their own wood or charcoal for the grills.
The parkis open throughout the year for 24 hours a day and includes a Visitor Center, which only stays closed on Christmas Day. The opening hours of the visitor center are 7.30am to 6.30pm between April and October and 8am to 4.30pm between November and March. Here visitors can find out about tours and programs at the park and rangers are located throughout the site to provide assistance and answer questions about the amazing landscape and arches.
Whilst visiting the arches people will be able to see various forms of wildlife at the park including many birds, lizards and rodents as well as 50 species of mammal. However, most animals in the desert are nocturnal, such as the kangaroo rats, woodrats and most other small desert rodents, skunks, ringtails, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, bats and owls. At least 273 species of bird have been spotted at the arches too including turkey vultures and white throated swifts.
Visitors should note that food, gas, lodging and similar services are not available in the park. Anyone with mobility impairments can access the visitor center and restrooms throughout the park as well as Devils Garden Campground site #37, the Park Avenue Viewpoint and the Delicate Arch Viewpoint.
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