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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > National Parks > Natural Bridges National Monument |
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PO Box 1, Lake Powell, UT 84533-0001
Phone: 435-692-1234 or 435-259-5174
Fax: 435-692-1111
Open All Year
Overview. The streams that sculpted White and Armstrong Canyons also carved three natural bridges out of the region's ancient Cedar Mesa sandstone. Massive Kachina Bridge, the youngest of the spans, is 210 feet high and 93 feet thick. It is still being sculpted by the stream it crosses, and is named for pictographs decorating its base that resemble symbols found on Hopi Kachina traditional costumes. Symmetrical Sipapu Bridge gracefully spans 268 feet and is 210 feet high. Named for the way to the Hopi underworld, Sipapu is the second largest natural bridge in the world. Fragile, delicate Owachomo is the oldest of the bridges and has been eroded to a precariously thin nine feet thick. It stands 106 feet high and spans 180 feet of Armstrong Canyon. In addition to the awesome grace of these stone bridges and the varied canyon landscape, the monument is a treasure trove of ancient Puebloan dwellings.
What to see and do. The nine-mile-long, scenic Bridge View Drive provides overlooks and trailheads for all three bridges and for Horsecollar Ruins, the remains of canyon cliff dwellings. If you'd like to get a closer look at any one of the bridges, trails lead from the overlooks to the bridges and back, or you can take the 8.2-mile hike through the canyons that passes all three. Allow adequate time (six to eight hours) and bring plenty of water.
Exhibits and a ten-minute video at the visitor center will introduce you to the geology, history, and wildlife of the monument, and trail brochures are available here. Rangers can answer your questions and direct you to archaeological sites at the monument. A 13-site primitive campground is located near the visitor center and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Trailers and motor homes exceeding a 26-foot combined length cannot fit in the sites here, but rangers can provide information on nearby campgrounds. To protect the fragile cryptobiotic crust ecosystem of the canyons and mesa, no backcountry camping is allowed in the monument. Rangers lead interpretive programs during the spring, summer, and fall.
The park is open year-round, including the campground, but sites are not plowed after snowstorms. The visitor center is open from 8 AM to 6 PM during the summer, in spring and fall to 5 PM, and in winter from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Bridge View Drive is open daily from dawn until after dark, and is kept clear of snow in winter.
Pets: Leashed pets are permitted.
Fees: A daily entrance fee is charged.
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