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16 Photos
Map of featured photo opportunities
24 + pages of tips on locations, equipment and exposures that will
enhance your photo taking experience
The Arches National Park
Photographic Guide includes details to photographing Landscape Arch, Double
Arch, Balanced Rock, etc., just to name a few. We provide you with directions, routes, best time of day, hiking
times, etc. to make your photographic trip time productive and enjoyable. You can order today by clicking the order
form button below.
This is an example of the detailed directions our Arches National
Park Photographic Guide provides.
Delicate Arch
Back on the road, about a mile-and-a-half beyond Panorama Point, there's a sign pointing the way to Delicate Arch
trailhead. The Delicate Arch trailhead starts at the Wolfe Ranch parking lot. Even if you have only a short time
in the park, you should make the 1.5 mile trek to Delicate Arch, the best-known landmark in Arches National Park.
Delicate Arch is a free-standing arch perched at the edge of a
slip rock bowl. It stands, 46 feet high by 32 feet wide, as a graceful ring of stone framing a classic view of
the Colorado Plateau. The trail climbs 480 feet in a mile-and-a-half, with cairns to mark the trail up the slick
rock. This moderately strenuous trail crosses a swinging bridge over Salt Wash and continues up slick rock. My
best time to the top is 30 minutes. As you near the summit and the end of the trail, a wall of stone blocks the
view. At the top, the trail rounds the corner, the view of Delicate Arch appears. It is amazing. Look back to your
right and you will see a flat area with a rock face. You can set up your tripod there on your first visit. Generally
you will not be alone so get there early. You can also work your way down the slick rock to photograph up into
the Arch (be mindful of other photographers so you are not in their frame).
Late afternoon light is the best for photographing Delicate Arch,
but do not stay beyond sunset without a flashlight. The trail down will be difficult and remember to carry water.
While you are photographing Delicate Arch be sure to look behind you and to your right for another smaller arch
which is ideal for framing Delicate Arch. You may want to take the original trail down to position yourself at
this smaller arch.
Delicate Arch is spectacular in the winter with a dusting of snow
but the trail up is very difficult. You can use a wide angle lens or a 100 mm lens here with the La Sal Mountains
in the background. There are so many great locations to photograph Delicate Arch that you will want to scout the
area in the afternoon before you start setting up for the evening shoot. Good light begins about 1 ½ hour
before official sunset and remains until after the official sunset for about twenty minutes.
On a full moon evening you can really have fun with moonlight
landscape images by pre-conceiving the rotation of the stars around Delicate Arch. Just be careful on the way down.
Do not even attempt without a good flashlight and fresh batteries. It will be dark here about thirty minutes after
the official sunset unless you have a full moon.
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