Twin Arches is the most visited feature in the park. The arches are part of the same eroded wall. They are just a couple hundred feet apart. The road heading to the trailhead is dirt and narrow. Careful driving out there, some drivers travel this road way faster than they should. Pulloffs are very limited. The parking area looks like it fills often during more popular times. The trailhead has a vault privy.
It is best to walk the 1.6 mile loop in a clockwise direction even though it's quicker to go the other way. Seeing the arches from below is more dramatic than approaching them from above. These steps are a cross between stairs and a ladder.
Arches are around the corner
Big Leaf Magnolia has found a home in Big South Fork. The trees are abundant here. The fallen leaves are easy to spot since they turn a very light color and contrast with the other leaf litter. They also look a little like toilet paper on the leaf litter.
These two arches are among the largest in the world. The one above is known as the North Arch and is the smaller of the two at 62' high. The first photo of this entry is of the South Arch which is 103' feet high with a 70' high clearance and 135' ground span.
After exploring around the two arches, we slipped into a tunnel in the South Arch. It looks narrow above but opens up just beyond Nanci. We were told it was 77 feet long.
Looks like brand new stairs
This place gets a big thumbs up. You can climb to the top of the South Arch and get a great 360 view. The return trail to the parking area, accesses a wooden staircase between the two arches and then travels over the top of the North Arch.
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