Kolob Arch

•The incredible geology of Zion has created environments as widespread and diverse as the topography of the park itself. Included in this geologic grandeur are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of freestanding arches of all shapes and sizes. Finding arches in Zion is part of an ever changing exploration of the natural world. Indeed, while finding an arch in Zion is a wonderful experience, one may be even more surprised with the many other natural wonders encountered along the way.

• Although freestanding rock can be found in many different geologic formations, the Navajo Sandstone formation found in Zion is home to many arches. Dune-bearing formations like Navajo Sandstone and Entrada Sandstone (found in Arches National Park) offer up many rock spans as they give way to the unceasing forces of erosion.

• Kolob Arch, one of the largest arches in the world, is located in the Kolob Canyons of Zion. Accessible only by a minimum of 14 miles hiking, Kolob Arch is a crown jewel in the Zion Backcountry. For years, geologists, rangers, and scholars have debated whether Kolob Arch in Zion or Landscape Arch (in Arches National Park) is the world's largest freestanding arch. In January 2007, The Newsletter of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, reported new accurate measurements of Kolob Arch. Results were as follows:

Span = 287 feet
Height = 104 feet
Width = 35 feet
Thickness = 75 feet
Separation = 44 feet

At these measurements Kolob Arch remains one of nature's largest freestanding arches, and certainly must be classified as one of the world's great spans.