Arches and Bridges of the Colorado Plateau
A geo-collection by Brandon Plewe
This map visualizes the distribution of almost 700 natural arches and bridges on the Colorado Plateau of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. This region has the largest concentration of arches in the world, and many of the largest (at least half of the 20 longest spans). As you can see, They are especially concentrated in Arches National Park, in the Jurassic-era Entrada Sandstone, and in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, in the Permian-era Cedar Mesa Sandstone.
My geo-collection of these arches is not exhaustive; the World Arch Database includes over 6,000 in this area. I chose to focus on the most signficant spans, at least 20ft wide, with a few notable smaller examples. The circle size represents the measured width, and you can click on each one to get more information. This information has been gathered from multiple sources, so please do not consider this page the final authority for anything. And no, I haven't been to all of them, only about 50. But I'm working on it...
If you wish, you are welcome to download the GIS data from ArcGIS Online. All I ask is that you give me credit if you use it.