Twin Arches is a 1,500-acre natural area located on the Cumberland Plateau within the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, featuring many scenic gorges, sandstone bluffs and rivers.
Both sandstone arches are situated end-to-end with a land bridge across the top. In terms of dimensions, the North Arch has a top deck height of 62-feet, a clearance of 51-feet and a span of 93-feet, while the South Arch has a top deck height of 103-feet, a clearance of 70-feet and a span of 135-feet.
Hiking
The park has two modern (septic tank) restrooms and a small seating area. Not far from the parking lot, the trail splits: to the left, you’ll encounter a set of steep wooden stairs (more like tall ladders with planks as steps) leading to the base of the cliffs; and, to the right the trail leads to the top of the arches.
Prints
You can find many great prints available featuring my photography when you visit my gallery. Print types include framed (customizable), art, metal, canvas, wood, poster, acrylic and tapestry. Thanks for stopping by!
Information
The text and image below are from an informational placard on site:
Weaker layers of sandstone form the base of the nearly vertical walls of this narrow ridge. The weathering of these erosion-susceptible layers caused sections of the wall to fall away, forming shallow rock shelters on both sides of the ridge.
The collapse and shelter enlarging process continued until two “windows” in the narrow ridge were formed. This opening enlarged until it reached the stronger and more erosion-resistant sandstone layer of rim rock that caps the Twin Arches.
Phil Perkins • Photography 