Angel Arch Wide Angel View

Angel Arch is the largest natural arch located within Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah. Some consider it the most beautiful and spectacular arch in the park, if not the entire canyon country region. 

Angel Arch is situated in a side canyon of Salt Creek Canyon, in the Needles District of the park. It's only accessible by permit.  Precipitation runoff from Angel Arch drains north into the nearby Colorado River via Salt Creek. A 29-mile round-trip hike to Angel Arch leads to a viewpoint, and an additional 0.75-mile trail scrambles up into the arch opening. The arch's descriptive name comes from its resemblance to an angel with wings folded, and standing with its back to the arch opening. Before this feature's name was officially adopted in 1963 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, it was called Pegasus Arch. The first ascent was made in June 1993, by John Markel and Kevin Chase.