Arches National Park guide · 1 min read
Pinyon, Juniper, and Desert Wildlife
Most trees in Arches stay small and spread out, but mixed stands of pinyon pine and Utah juniper take hold in the dry, rocky ground across the park.
Gnarled junipers and pinyon branches break up the red rock with green. Nine kinds of cactus, including prickly pear, grow here too, alongside wildflowers, blackbrush, and Indian ricegrass.
Desert bighorn sheep are among the large mammals most often seen in Arches, and mule deer are another regular sight. Pronghorn also make their home in the park. Nearly 50 mammal species live here, among them kangaroo rats, kit foxes, jackrabbits, and cottontails. Most are active after dark.
Birds include peregrine falcons and golden eagles, and you may hear groups of blue pinyon jays calling from the branches overhead. Mountain bluebirds pass through on migration. Collared lizards and western rattlesnakes are among the reptiles, and lizards often sit sunning themselves on warm stone.
Varied habitats make up the park's landscape, from streamside areas to temporary pools, dry washes, open grassland, and broad slabs of bare stone. Across much of the desert surface, biological soil crust forms from cyanobacteria, lichen, algae, and fungi. It guards against erosion and soaks up moisture, and while young it is easy to overlook; once mature it turns dark and bumpy.
Keeping your distance is good for you and the animals alike. Stay at least 150 feet from large animals such as black bears, and at least 75 feet from snakes. Store food in bear-proof containers or a vehicle, and never feed wildlife. When climbing, look before reaching into rocky nooks, since black widow spiders and lizards may shelter there.
