Notes On The History Of The Kolob Canyons… Kolob Arch

Issue 47.10

Part 9

One of the great back country spectacles in the Kolob is its famous Kolob Arch.  The arch has a measured span of 310 feet making it the largest free standing arch in the world.  In the Gregory and Williams 1947 publication they mentioned its existence on page 16 of the paper.  In fact there was a move to name the arch after Gregory but since there was a natural bridge on the Escalante River which bore his name, the proposal was decided against.  Besides, the arch was known to cattlemen for at least twenty-five years before.  William W. Flanigan, who is famous for his solo descent of the Virgin River Narrows in 1900, accompanied a Mr. Willis into the Kolob in 1922 to look for the arch.  [Flanigan Diary 16-17 Jun 1922]  They failed in their attempt and as far as is known Flanigan never returned to look for it.  Zion park ranger, J.L. Crawford saw the arch from the cliffs of the Kolob in the fall of 1948.  The next spring he hiked up LaVerkin Creek into Bridge Canyon and took what was the first photograph of the majestic arch.  A couple of years later National Geographic featured Zion National Park and Zion National Monument in the January 1954 issue.  They probably published the first photo of the arch and gave it some renown.

            Two years before the Guinness Book of World Records listed Landscape Arch in Arches National Monument (now National Park) as the world’s longest natural arch span.  The claim was based on the measurements of rock climbers Fred D. Ayres and Alex E. Cresswell, who had climbed to the top of Landscape Arch in 1949.  [Hoffman, Arches National Park- An Illustrated Guide, 83 & 123]  Hearing about the Kolob Arch, Ayres and Cresswell climbed to the top of Kolob Arch on 12 August 1953.  Their measurements indicated that it had a span of between 290 and 300 feet and the question of which was the longest was not determined. 

            In 1983, a team of scientists and engineers determined that the Kolob Arch actually had a span of 310 feet; nineteen feet more than the Landscape Arch.  Dale Stevens wrote as a conclusion to the study:  “Since aesthetics are also considered by many to be a factor in describing the characteristics of arches, one must not overlook the relatively thin span and distance from nearby rock masses that sets the free standing Landscape Arch apart from the cliff wall position and massive span of Kolob Arch.  On the other hand the remote isolated location and brighter colors of Kolob Arch surely make it one of nature’s prized possessions to the viewer who enjoys the natural wonders of the world.  Both arches are masterpieces of those geological processes that make southern Utah such a unique place.”  [Stevens, Dimensions of Landscape Arch, BYU Geography Department, 1985; 7]  A hike to the Kolob Arch is an incredible experience but not one without challenges, check with a park ranger if you attempt it.