1996 Map of The Windows Section

About this map

Arches National Park reveals its complex geological architecture in this late 20th-century survey of the high desert. Concentrated within The Windows Section, iconic formations like Double Arch, North Window, and South Window stand as central landmarks near the sprawling expanse of Willow Flats. The map illustrates a landscape defined by vertical relief, from the towering heights of the Courthouse Towers and The Organ to the winding course of the Colorado River at the southeastern boundary. Narrow 4WD tracks provide the primary means of navigating between these landmarks, connecting the Garden of Eden with more remote features like the Eye of the Whale and the monolithic Tower of Babel. This document records the intricate network of washes, such as Salt Valley Wash and Winter Camp Wash, that have shaped the sandstone over millennia.