Tower of Babel Area Walk

The walk to the base of the Tower of Babel and Courthouse Towers in the southern section of Arches National Park provides intimate access to some of the park's most dramatic freestanding stone monoliths without the exertion of longer trails. The Tower of Babel rises 350 feet from the canyon floor as a single vertical shaft of Entrada Sandstone, one of the most visually striking formations in any US national park. The short walk from the pullout along the park road crosses sandy wash bottom and occasional slickrock benches to reach the base of the towers.

This area sits at the southern entrance to Arches, meaning it is often bypassed by visitors rushing to Delicate Arch or the Windows. The result is a quieter, more contemplative experience. Photographers find the afternoon light ideal here — the towers catch the warm western light and glow orange-red against blue desert sky. The surrounding canyon also harbors Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and the Organ formation, visible from the road pullouts. Off-trail exploration in this section is permitted where cryptobiotic crust is absent, giving confident hikers the opportunity to press closer to formations without a defined path.