Nevada is a state full of unbelievable beauty and natural splendor. However, there is one hidden spot that ranks as one of the most beautiful areas in the entire state. Located in Great Basin National Park — a park full of gorgeous lakes, mountains, trees, caves, and trails — in a relatively remote part of the park, is an incredible natural stone arch: Lexington Arch. Take a look at this incredibly beautiful hidden spot in Nevada.
Great Basin National Park is located in Baker, White Pine County, in the east-central part of the state.
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
The park itself is chock full of stunning natural beauty. From lakes (like Stella Lake, pictured) to Wheeler Peak to the famous Lehman Caves to the hidden glacier, this is a truly glorious park.
National Park Service/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
You can visit Great Basin National Park year-round, and each season brings something new and incredibly beautiful.
Frank Kovalchek/Flickr
One of the most overlooked yet incredible attractions in Great Basin National Park is Lexington Arch, located on the park’s southeastern border, somewhat hidden from the more popular areas of the park.
Ray Fink/AllTrails
This impressive 75-foot-high limestone bridge is unusual because most of the other natural bridges in the southwest are carved from sandstone.
National Park Service/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Experts assert that arch was, at one point, part of a cave that had eventually eroded away. They cite the flowstone base of the arch as evidence since flowstone is a smooth rock normally found in caves.
Ray Fink/AllTrails Another theory is that Lexington Arch is, instead, a natural bridge. This differs from an arch in that, as mentioned, arches are formed by weathering while bridges are formed from flowing water. Thus, it is possible that before the canyon was as deep as it is today, Lexington Creek flowed through a cave in a canyon wall, thus enlarging it and creating the bridge.
Despite its majesty, because of its location, Lexington Arch is one of the most underrated and beautiful attractions in a park full of natural splendor.
Jamie and Matt Chalup/Flickr
In order to get to Lexington Arch, you must travel into Utah and then back into Nevada. If you’d like an up close and personal view, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is necessary to traverse the dirt roads in this part of the park, and, then, there is a seven-mile hike to the arch itself, with the latter part of it somewhat steep. While it is, indeed, an effort to reach this incredibly beautiful hidden spot, it is completely worth it.
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
National Park Service/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Frank Kovalchek/Flickr
Ray Fink/AllTrails
Another theory is that Lexington Arch is, instead, a natural bridge. This differs from an arch in that, as mentioned, arches are formed by weathering while bridges are formed from flowing water. Thus, it is possible that before the canyon was as deep as it is today, Lexington Creek flowed through a cave in a canyon wall, thus enlarging it and creating the bridge.
Jamie and Matt Chalup/Flickr
For more information or directions, please visit the National Park Service’s website.
Have you seen this unbelievably beautiful hidden spot in Nevada? Please share your experiences below.
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