Page
Beginning of a monument 1
Graduation to a park 5
Early history 9
Prehistoric people 9
Late arrivals 12
Geographic setting 18
Deposition of the rock materials 20
Bending and breaking of the rocks 24
Uplift and erosion of the Plateau 33
Origin and development of the arches 37
Examples of arches 46
How to see the park 50
A trip through the park 52
Colorado River canyon 52
Headquarters area 57
Courthouse Towers area 63
The Windows section 68
Delicate Arch area 74
Fiery Furnace 79
Salt Valley and Klondike Bluffs 82
Devils Garden 83
Summary of geologic history 98
Additional reading 104
Acknowledgments 105
Selected references 105
Index 109