Natural Bridges-Utah has plenty including a national monument

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This is another one of those hidden spots in southern Utah that gets overlooked because of all the amazing national parks. There weren't a lot of people there when I was visiting but I was arriving late after having toured Canyonlands National Park. The Natural Bridges Monument is located off on its own southwest of Canyonlands. Very pretty scenic drive to get to it if you come from the north or east.

The Natural Bridges Natural Monument has a number of natural bridges in residence. It's a smaller park/monument with a 9 mile loop drive to see the major lookouts of the more significant bridges. There are also hiking trails which lead you right down to each of the major bridges. I was running out of time and sunlight so did not have time to do any of them unfortunately. This is definitely a place I want to come back and explore better someday.

The bridges are HUGE but blend in well with their white rock surroundings so can be hard to locate in the pictures. The bridges are formed by water erosion. According to the brochure, the Kachina Bridge is the youngest in the Natural Bridges Monument of the big three. It had a very significant rock fall of 4,000 tons off the bridge in 1992 so the bridge is still forming. You can see the pile of rocks from the lookout and if you hike down.

Sipapu Bridge is HUGE and the second largest natural bridge in the world according to the guide. Owachomo Bridge is a smaller bridge which they feel formed very quickly because the Tuwa Creek no longer flows under it thereby ending its erosion. The bridges might not look that big in the pictures until you compare them to the full grown trees on the floor!

According to its web site: "Natural Bridges has one of the darkest night skies in the country. In fact, the beauty of the night sky here led the International Dark-Sky Association to designate Natural Bridges as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park." There aren't a lot of lights around it and this area appears to be sparsely populated so can see how this would be.

I wish I would have had time to hike down to at least one of the bridges for better pictures but daylight was leaving fast and I still had to travel quite a few miles to my hotel in Mexican Hat, UT. By the way, the drive to Mexican Hat was quite the experience! A scenic drive not for those who are scared of heights. When you near Mexican Hat, you have to drop in elevation significantly through a series of switchback roads of one lane with no railing. Check out the picture. Take it slow and be careful if you go this route! It appears they are working on the roads so maybe someday they'll add in railings for some feeling of security. This route also takes you by the Valley of the Gods and Goosenecks State Park. Both of which I did not have time to view unfortunately. Very pretty route and view nonetheless even if a bit of a whiteknuckler.

This is a stop that hopefully someday I'll be able to come back and explore better and be able to do some of the hikes down to the bridges. Next up...tomorrow and Monument Valley.

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Photos

Driving to the Monument
Some nice scenery...the Monument is located on a Scenic byway.

Sipapu Bridge View
Can you find it? (Hint, lower left corner)

Kachina Bridge View
Can you find it? (Hint...look in the middle)

Owachomo Bridge View
Can you find it? This one blends in well...look at the left side center.

A Long Way Down
The drive down at sunset...the series of switchbacks to make your way down to the floor to reach Mexican Hat, UT from the Natural Bridges Monument. Only if you use the scenic drive.

Comments

[Alpinemel]

very cool
I have been to Utah...but these rock formations are very cool...the trees seem to grow out of nothing.