Geological Survey Bulletin 1393 The Geologic Story of Arches National Park

The Windows Section

The Windows section, one of the most beautiful parts of the park, once was the only readily accessible part of the former monument and is still the only collection of arches seen by many visitors who either do not have or do not take time to travel farther north. All the arches and erosion forms are on or near a high crest called Elephant Butte (Dane, 1935, p. 126, 127), which separates Salt Valley from the Courthouse syncline. The ridge also marks the south edge of several minor anticlines and synclines termed by Dane the "Elephant Butte folds."

Guarding the approach to The Windows section is Balanced Rock (stop 9). As shown in the frontispiece, it is accompanied on the right by another balanced rock and a third one may be seen in the distance. The original route to The Windows section, pioneered by Goulding, passed just north of Balanced Rock. Traces of the old road between here and the Garden of Eden parking area are still visible but no longer used. To the west, however, a part of the old road is the starting point of a jeep trail leading northwestward through Herdina Park to a point near Klondike Bluffs, where it joins the dirt road in Salt Valley (fig. 1). Visitors having four-wheel-drive vehicles may wish to drive at least as far as Eye of The Whale (fig. 34), which is about 2 miles northwest of Balanced Rock. There are several picnic tables at the beginning of this jeep trail, but no water.

EYE OF THE WHALE, one of several arches in Herdina Park, just south of jeep trail about 2 miles northwest of Balanced Rock. Cut in Slick Rock Member. Front opening is 60 feet wide and 27 feet high, but back opening is only 35 feet wide and 11 feet high. Photograph by Professor Dale J. Stevens, Brigham Young University. (Fig. 34)

Just beyond Balanced Rock, a branch paved road turns eastward 2-1/2 miles to the main parking lots in The Windows section. Between the Garden of Eden (stop 13) and Cove of Caves are spectacular exposures of the Navajo Sandstone showing the crossbedding typical of the original dunes (fig. 35). Just east of the crossbedded Navajo Sandstone, shown in figure 35, we pass Cove Arch and Cove of Caves (stop 10) on the north side of the road (fig. 36).

INTRICATE CROSSBEDS IN NAVAJO SANDSTONE, on north side of road between Garden of Eden and Cove of Caves. Red crest is basal part of Dewey Bridge Member. (Fig. 35)

COVE ARCH AND COVE OF CAVES, on north side of road just west of Double Arch and Parade of Elephants. Arch at left and three of the caves on right are roofed by Slick Rock Member and floored by Dewey Bridge Member. Arch is 48-1/2 feet wide and 34 feet high. In time the caves will eat through the 30-foot-thick fin and become arches. Note sharp contact between Dewey Bridge Member and Navajo Sandstone. (Fig. 36)

Just around the curve east of Cove of Caves is the first of two parking lots (stop 11) forming a one-way loop at the end of this branch of the road. From the loop may be seen the greatest concentration of readily accessible arches in the park, all of which are roofed by the Slick Rock Member and floored by the Dewey Bridge Member. Let us take the short paved trail from the upper lot to the southeast, where we come first to North Window (fig. 37). If we walk through this arch and climb the rock beyond (fig. 37 caption), we see one of the best views in the park (fig. 38). A short walk south of North Window brings us to South Window (fig. 39). The other side of this arch may be reached either by walking around the nearby southeast end of the fin or by walking through North Window. A short walk to the southwest brings us to Turret Arch—the one seen through North Window in figure 38. Figure 40 was taken from the southwest side of Turret Arch, viewed northeastward toward South Window, one corner of which appears at the left. Both North and South Windows may be seen in one photograph taken from points near Turret Arch.

NORTH WINDOW, viewed to the northeast. Large rock seemingly partly blocking left end of arch actually is the southeast end of a fin some 50 feet or more beyond the arch, from which figure 38 was taken. Arch is 93 feet wide and 51 feet high. (Fig. 37)

LOOKING SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH NORTH WINDOW, from fin shown beyond left side of North Window in figure 37. Turret Arch (fig. 40) is seen at right middle ground, south rim of Moab Valley to left of arch, Colorado River canyon forms left skyline. (Fig. 38)

SOUTH WINDOW, viewed toward northeast. Arch is 105 feet wide and 66 feet high. See text. (Fig. 39)

TURRET ARCH, viewed northeast toward South Window, part of which is visible on left. Small opening on right is visible also in figure 38. Largest arch is 39 feet wide and 64 feet high; smaller one is 12 feet wide and 13 feet high. A still smaller one, not visible in the photograph, is 8 feet wide and only 4-1/2 feet high. (Fig. 40)

From the lower parking lot (stop 12), a short walk by paved trail takes us to spectacular Double Arch, shown in figure 17. This arch is visible from the parking lot but is best seen and photographed from at or near the end of the trail. Looking westward from near the trail's end, we see the Parade of Elephants, shown in figure 41. This feature is described on pages 16 and 17 of "The Guide to an Auto Tour of Arches National Park" as "whimsical stone statuary resembling a circus pachyderm parade. With tail in trunk, the elephants rumble toward you along a sandstone roadway."

PARADE OF ELEPHANTS, viewed west from end of trail to Double Arch. Two elephants are on right, one on left. (Fig. 41)

Ribbon Arch, on the north side of Elephant Butte, is one of the most delicate ones in the park (fig. 1). Although it is 50 feet wide and 55 feet high, the rock span is only 1-1/2 feet wide and 1 foot thick.

On the way back to the intersection with the main park road, we pass stop 14, from which may be seen Pothole Arch (fig. 18). One and one-half miles north of the intersection with the main road is the Panorama Point parking area (stop 15), which affords fine distant views of Salt and Cache Valleys and points beyond. A roadside exhibit portrays the gradual development of the Salt Valley anticline, which supplements my description on pages 27-32. A parking space a short distance farther down the hill (stop 16) provides good distant views of the Fiery Furnace. I tried several telephoto shots from this viewpoint, but preferred my closeup views, such as the one shown in figure 44.