12 Outlandish Utah Rock Formations Worth Every Mile Of Hikes & Rough Driving

Utah’s Bizzaro Rock Formations

Utah’s backcountry hides rock formations so strange you’d swear they’re from another planet. And when you finally reach them after miles of rough roads and hiking trails, you’ll be too busy picking your jaw up off the ground to care.

Delicate Arch – Arches National Park

Originally called “The Chaps” and “Cowboy’s Chaps” by local cowboys, the salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone formed this iconic structure through countless freeze-thaw cycles and erosion.

You’ll need to hike 1.5 miles uphill to reach it, but the trail gives you perfect views of the La Sal Mountains and the surrounding desert landscape. The arch’s opening spans 46 feet high and 29 feet wide, making it large enough to fit a three-story building.

The Narrows – Zion National Park

Imagine walking through a natural hallway where the walls reach up to 1,000 feet high and sometimes span just 20-30 feet apart.

The Virgin River carved this stunning slot canyon over millions of years, creating smooth, multicolored walls that change color throughout the day. Water flows year-round, so you’ll need to wade through the river to explore.

The canyon stretches for 16 miles, features hanging gardens during spring, and houses rare species like the Virgin spinedace fish.

The Narrows can be hiked from the bottom up without a permit for day use, but the full 16-mile hike requires a permit and usually takes 12-14 hours.

Thor’s Hammer – Bryce Canyon National Park

This 150-foot tall hoodoo looks exactly like its name suggests. A massive stone hammer that looks like that of the Norse thunder god.

Formed when softer limestone eroded beneath a cap of harder rock, Thor’s Hammer stands as one of Bryce Canyon’s most recognizable features. The rich orange and red coloration comes from iron oxide minerals, creating a striking contrast against the blue Utah sky.

Landscape Arch – Arches National Park

Stretching an incredible 290 feet from base to base, Landscape Arch is one of the longest natural stone arches in the world. At its thinnest point, the arch is just 6 feet thick, or about as wide as a dinner table.

In 1991, visitors actually witnessed a 60-foot slab break off from the underside, proving these formations are constantly changing.

Double Arch – Arches National Park

Two massive arches sharing the same foundation are as awesome to see as it sounds. Unlike many arches formed by water erosion, these were created primarily by downward water pressure that carved out the center of a salt dome. Its arches are about 50 years old.

Balanced Rock – Arches National Park

This 3,577-ton boulder is perched precariously on a pedestal that looks like it could give way any second.

Standing 128 feet tall, the top “rock” portion is about the size of three school buses. The contrasting Entrada Sandstone (red) and Curtis Formation (buff-colored) create its distinctive two-tone appearance.

Fisher Towers – Near Moab

These 900-foot tall mudstone skyscrapers rise from the desert floor like the ruins of an alien civilization.

Wind and water erosion carved these towers from Cutler Formation sandstone and Moenkopi mudstone, creating bizarre, gnarly spires with vertical cracks that attract elite rock climbers from around the world.

Goblin Valley – Goblin Valley State Park

In Utah, there’s a landscape with mushroom-shaped rocks covering a valley floor like an army of petrified creatures. These “goblins” (technically called hoodoos) range from 3-20 feet tall and formed when Entrada Sandstone eroded unevenly, leaving harder cap rocks protecting softer material below.

Rainbow Bridge – Lake Powell

This natural bridge spans 234 feet and rises 290 feet above the canyon floor. It’s tall enough to fit the Statue of Liberty underneath.

Formed by water erosion when a stream carved through the sandstone wall of Navajo Mountain, it’s considered the world’s largest natural bridge.

Mexican Hat Rock – Near Mexican Hat, Utah

This 60-foot wide, 12-foot thick slab of rock balances improbably on a much narrower base, resembling a giant sombrero. The formation consists of Cedar Mesa Sandstone deposited 280 million years ago when the area was a coastal plain.

Located just outside the tiny town that took its name, the rock can be viewed from Highway 163 or up close via a rough dirt road.

Wall Street – Bryce Canyon National Park

Unlike its financial namesake, this natural “Wall Street” is a narrow slot canyon with vertical walls rising 200 feet on either side. The distinctive striations in the limestone create the appearance of layered sedimentary “stocks” stacked on top of each other.

Douglas fir trees somehow grow from the canyon walls, stretching dramatically toward the light. Found along the Navajo Loop Trail, the passageway narrows to just a few feet in some sections, creating a natural echo chamber that amplifies the sound of footsteps.

Corona Arch – Near Moab

This massive 140-foot tall, 105-foot wide freestanding arch resembles a massive rainbow frozen in stone. It is also called “Little Rainbow Bridge” because of its rainbow-like shape.

The Navajo Sandstone that forms the arch contains cross-bedding patterns from ancient sand dunes that existed 200 million years ago. The arch became famous (or infamous) for rope swinging until the practice was banned after several fatalities.