After Landscape Arch, we went see some of the sights nearer to the entrance to Arches National Park.
It’s 9 miles (14.5 km) from the park entrance to the Balanced Rock parking area. There are four viewpoints along the way for parking, viewing some of the park’s extraordinary and unusual formations and, at a couple of points, hiking.
Park Avenue viewpoint – trail leads downhill through the “Park Avenue” canyon to Courthouse Towers viewpoint.- La Sal Mountains viewpoint.
- Courthouse Towers viewpoint – we hiked up the canyon from this point and back later in our visit.
- Petrified Dunes viewpoint.
Balanced Rock is one of many popular rock formations in the park. From the parking lot, a short trail leads out to near the base and loops around it. The height of the pillar and rock on top is about 128 feet (39 m). The balancing rock is about the size of three school buses, estimated at 3577 tons. During the winter of ‘75 – ‘76 a smaller companion balanced rock fell. It had been called “Chip Off The Old Block.”
Selected Information Resources:
Arches National Park.
