How the Arches Were Formed

Deep in the desert there lived hundreds of beautiful young girls. They were extraordinarily tall with olive skin and shimmering sky blue eyes. Their dark hair cascaded down their backs. Alas, they were haughty as they were beautiful. They loved nothing more than to flip over and stay in a backbend for hours in the scorching heat.

From around the world came hundreds to admire the beauty and talent of the Desert Girls, which only added to their vanity.

One day, it was decided that a contest should be held to discover the most superior Desert Girl. The eldest sent word to everyone around the world. Starting promptly at sunrise the next day, the girls would all flip over into a backbend and see who could stay up the longest. Each bragged to the next about how surely she would win because she was by far better than any other.

Finally, the time came. Right as the sun poked its nose over the horizon, all the girls snapped backward until their delicate hands were resting on hot desert soil. The air was filled with an eerie silence. Not one limb trembled. Then slowly something began to happen.

It came over the youngest girls initially. First their skin dried out so it looked older. Then the heat began to seep into their muscles and organs, hardening them into stone. From their toes to their long hair, the girls started to bake. Although they realized this, they would not budge for fear of losing the competition.

The same thing happened to all of them until only the eldest was left. She could have run but she saw her sisters’ persistence and was determined not to lose. She, too, was baked until she became a curved piece of dusty red stone with caramel hues. Vermillion flowers sprouted, honoring their daring feat.

They are still standing today, and folks still come from around the world to see the Desert Girls in present-day Utah at Arches National Park. Tourists always stop to admire the beauty of the vain eldest girl, the one called Delicate Arch.