NPS Photo In March 1940, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was established to help develop Arches National Monument. Enrollees were unmarried, unemployed young men between 18 and 25 years old and mostly from southern states. Dysfunction plagued the camp, but they managed to complete an impressive amount of work in just a few short years: improving the entrance road, building drainage culverts, constructing headquarters buildings and starting work on a new scenic park road. Work was halted when the United States entered World War II. The Arches camp, one of the last in the nation, closed in March 1942. Today, the lasting contributions of the CCC can be seen in a distinctive rock culvert and historic red sandstone building near the visitor center. |
Last updated: September 25, 2021