Baku, September 20, AZERTAC

In the desert of the American West lies Arches National Park - a magical place filled with stunning red rocks and clear blue skies, which is home to more than 2,000 natural stone arches.

It lives up to its name and is one of the star attractions in Utah.

It is what we imagine the surface of Mars to look like, with more than 2,000 rocks in vivid reds and muted buffs precariously piled up on top of each other to form delicate bridges, pinnacles, and arches.

It was established as a national monument in 1929 and as a national park in 1971, and it has an area of 120 square miles (310 square km).

The park lies on the northern edge of the Colorado Plateau at elevations roughly between 4,000 and 5,600 feet (1,200 and 1,700 metres).

The area’s red sandstone has eroded into a variety of unusual shapes, including pinnacles, windows, and arches. Notable features are Balanced Rock, Courthouse Towers (with spires that resemble skyscrapers), The Windows Section, Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace (so named because it glows in the setting sun), and Devils Garden.

The strange landscape is mostly the result of the salt composition of the underlying soil, the effects of pressure from the sediments, and the relentless work of wind and water.

The best way to see the park is by following one of the many trails, which range from difficult hikes to easy ones suitable for families.

There is a ranger program that offers guided tours, imparting riches of information about the geology, history, and flora and fauna of this magnificent world.