Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7.
Natural Bridges National Monument
Spanning the twisting streambeds of White Canyon and eons of geologic time with equal
grace, three natural bridges attest to the patience and persistence of flowing water. Fash-
ioned of tawny sandstone millions of years old, the bridges—called Sipapu, Kachina, and
Owachomo—are the centerpieces of Natural Bridges National Monument, some 50 miles
southeast of Hite Crossing. Atop a 6,500-foot-high plateau that commands a southerly
overview of Arizona's Monument Valley, a road and hiking trail link the three bridges,
which were formed by silted floodwaters that scraped out shortcuts between tight loops in
thecanyons.Sipapu,firstalongthedrive,isthesecond-largestsuchbridgeintheworld;its
height is equal to that of a 20-story building, and its span is nearly the length of a football
field.Kachina,theyoungestbridge,istheleastworndownbywindandwater.Owachomo,
theoldest,isapttobethefirsttofall:At180feetacross,itsspanisacomparativelydelicate
strand barely nine feet thick.
Human engineering, too, shaped the scenery at Natural Bridges. Along Bridge View
Drive the entrances to ancient Anasazi dwellings gape from a steep rock slope. Few places
on Earth can boast a climate and an architecture in such perfect harmony—if the vanished
ancient peoples were to return tomorrow, their desert-preserved homes would be waiting
just as they had left them some 800 years ago.
Owachomo, named after one of the Native American tribes that made this area their home, is one of three natural bridges
that formed in Natural Bridges National Park when meandering streams slowly cut through the canyon walls.
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