When approaching Courthouse Towers, this freestanding sandstone fin looks immense. And sometimes looks can be deceptive. A side view unveils a look at the thin, fragile and gravity defying formation. Just a narrow sliver of sandstone is all that's left standing after the surrounding, softer salt bed and sandstone material have been eroded away.
The Moab fault, deep within the earth, has contributed to an instability in the area and has initiated long, vertical cracks in the sandstone. Wind and water erosion has turned these interesting rock formations into the fins and arches seen today at Arches National Park, Utah.