Located in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, Arches National Park was designated as a national monument in 1929 and a national park in 1971. Encompassing more than 75,000 acres, Arches National Park is a geologic treasury of contrasting colors, soaring pinnacles, giant balanced rocks and sandstone formations including the largest concentration of natural arches (more than 2,000) in the world.

Canyonlands National Park was established in 1964 and Horseshoe Canyon, a detached unit of Canyonlands, was added in 1971. The region is renowned for its amazing collection of structures, pictographs and petroglyphs that give clues into the history of the hunter-gatherer and agricultural cultures of 2,000 years ago. Combined, these two Utah parks attract more than 3 million visitors annually.