Utah's famed Double Arch collapses, underscores fragility of National Park features

One of Utah’s natural wonders will never be the same following an arch collapse at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Double Arch, a frequently visited geologic feature in Glen Canyon’s Rock Creek Bay, gave way to the elements on Thursday, the National Park Service says. No one was injured as a result of the fine-grained sand feature’s collapse. 

The event, according to Glen Canyon superintendent Michelle Kerns, should serve as a reminder of  the responsibility and need to protect the mineral resources surrounding Lake Powell.

“These features have a life span that can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions,” Kerns said in a statement. “While we don’t know what caused this collapse, we will continue to maintain our resource protection efforts on Lake Powell for future generations to enjoy.” 

Kerns also reminded visitors to enjoy the natural resources offered at Glen Canyon, but to always “leave no trace.”

Here’s what to know.

Why did Utah’s Double Arch collapse?

While the cause of the collapse is not immediately clear, NPS suspects that changing water levels and erosion from wave action contributed to its destruction.  

NPS noted that the fine-grained sand feature has been subject to “spalling and erosion” from weather events, including wind and rain, since its formation. 

Meanwhile at Yosemite:Visitors scolded about dirty habit that's 'all too familiar'

How did Utah’s ‘Double Arch’ form? 

The Double Arch, which was affectionately also called the “Toilet Bowl, Crescent Pool and Hole in the Roof,” formed from 190-million-year-old Navajo sandstone. 

The sandstone that helped form the Double Arch originated between the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods, according to the NPS.