Arches National Park, Utah
Arches National Park, home to 2,000 known natural arches as well as numerous spires, fins, windows and natural bridges, is a fun place to take curious kids. Even those under the age of 9. Why? At Arches National Park science is real. Here, kids can see, first hand, the effects of water and wind on the shape of the land. And geology isn’t the only natural science that comes to life at this U.S. national park. Potholes and biological soil crusts, two unique natural features, are home to living organisms and offer children, as well as adults, a peek at biology. Even jaded teens are sure to confess, ‘This is neat stuff!’
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History & Culture
Rocks have attracted visitors to the area known as Arches National Park for more than 10,000 years. Hunter-gathers chipped and knapped quartz into stone tools at the end of the last Ice Age. The Fremont People, and later the Ute Indians, made pictographs and petroglyphs on area rocks as much as 700 years ago. Denis Julien, a French-American trapper, chiseled his name in a rock in 1844. Yet the history of the rock formations that attract visitors today began more than 300 million years. And it started with salt. Learn more about the Paradox Formation and find out why it is responsible for the arches, spires, balanced rocks, fins and eroded monoliths found at Arches National Park. Find out how erosion played a helping hand. Read about the Paleo-Indian people, Fremont culture and Ute Indians and get a jumpstart on history before departing on a trip with kids.
Geology Fieldnotes
National Park Service Geological Formations National Park Service Paleo-Indian People Canyons, cultures and environmental change Fremont Culture Canyons, cultures and environmental change Ute Indians Wikipedia Maps
Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Plot your route to Arches National Park and find your way when you arrive. Map hiking trails and roads open to 4x4 vehicles only.
Books
Books are a great way to introduce younger children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. Find recommended reading lists for adults and kids, learn more about the U.S. state of Utah through guidebooks, novels and historical fiction and embark on a different kind of family journey.
Music & Sound
Music is a great way to introduce children to a local culture and embark on a journey through sound. Listen to Native American music from hip-hop to pow wow and storytelling.
News
Read Utah newspapers online and brush up on Utah current events from politics to economics and sports to entertainment before you depart on a trip with kids. Get Utah news and discover what the locals are reading. Find out what's happening from Salt Lake City to Moab.
Kids' stuff
Online resources make learning about Arches National Park lots of fun. Read about the Anasazi, as the Ancestral Puebloans are commonly known, and discover which crops they cultivated as well as how they reached their cliff dwellings. Learn about the Anasazi's northern neighbor, the Fremont People, and discover how the two cultures differ. Get rock art etiquette and find out what you can do to protect petroglyphs and pictographs. But don't limit your inquiry to the history of man. Tune in to geology and discover the earth inside out. Find out what's below the dirt in your backyard and why landforms can have such strange shapes. And don't forget to focus on wildlife. Both the collared lizard and bighorn sheep are native to Arches National Park. While neither is easy to spot, if you are lucky you might see one!
Anasazi Facts
Bureau of Land Management Fremont People National Park Service Rock Art Etiquette Bureau of Land Management Geology for Kids KidsGeo.com Bighorn Sheep EnchantedLearning.com Collared Lizard Wikipedia |
