Tower of Babel (Utah)
Tower of Babel is a summit in Grand County, Utah. It is located within Arches National Park and like many of the rock formations in the park, it is composed of Entrada Sandstone. The tower is 500 feet tall, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises vertically above the main park road in approximately laterally. Precipitation runoff from Tower of Babel drains to the nearby Colorado River via Courthouse Wash. This landform's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. This landform was shown briefly in the opening scene of the 1989 American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Climbing
The first ascent of the summit was made October 17, 1986, by Charlie Fowler, Eric Bjornstad, and Lin Ottinger via the Zenyatta Entrada route. Some consider this the most beautiful climbing route in the park. Another feature on Tower of Babel is The Three Gargoyles, a rock-climbing route first climbed by Jimmie Dunn and Joe Slansky.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Tower of Babel is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to experience Arches National Park, when highs average and lows average. Summer temperatures often exceed. Winters are cold, with highs averaging, and lows averaging. As part of a high desert region, it can experience wide daily temperature fluctuations. The park receives an average of less than 10 inches of rain annually.