Salt Valley - Arches National Park, US

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Salt Valley, Arches National Park US
Facilities: picnic pavillions, rest area, parking along the short walk to view points.
best short stop for food and water break in between the arches hike.
Beneath the valley floor lies a thick layer of salt. Formed by the evaporation of ancient oceans, the salt became thousands of feet deep. Over the million years, this salt was buried by sand, silt and other sediments. Under pressure, the less dense salt rose into a dome, partly dissolved, and then collapsed, creating Salt Valley.
Windblown and waterborne sediments buried the salt. The weight of the overlying sediment forced the salt to flow, like a glacier, along its rock bed. Where the salt encountered a fault, it bulged upward, forming a salt dome. Unable to bend, the overlying rock cracked. The cracks allowed water to seep into the salt & the process of erosion continues to sculpt a scenic backdrop for Salt Valley.