Balanced Rock (Arches)

Balanced Rock stands approximately 128 feet (about 39 meters) tall from base to top, with the massive balanced upper block alone measuring roughly 55 feet high. The formation is one of the most recognizable landmarks visible directly alongside the main park road, making it easily accessible to visitors.

Balanced Rock consists of a large upper block of Entrada Sandstone resting on a narrower pedestal of the softer Dewey Bridge Member of the Carmel Formation, sometimes called Dewey Bridge mudstone. The contrast in hardness between these two layers is what creates the precarious balancing effect, as the softer pedestal erodes faster than the harder capstone above.

A smaller companion balanced formation near the main Balanced Rock, sometimes called Chip Off the Old Block, collapsed sometime between 1975 and 1976, demonstrating that these features are temporary on geological timescales. The main Balanced Rock remains standing but will eventually erode and collapse as the softer pedestal continues to wear away.

Balanced Rock is located along the main paved road in Arches National Park, a short distance from the park entrance and visitor center near Moab, Utah. There is a parking area and a short loop trail that allows visitors to walk around the base of the formation.