Bridges not arches
Trip Start
Sep 23, 2010
1
284
366
Trip End
Jul 13, 2012
Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
We arrived around 10.30am and popped into the Visitor Centre to pick up a map and off we went on the scenic loop road to see the three natural bridges. Our first stop was at Sipapu, (translates to 'place of emergence), Bridge view point, where we did a short walk down steps and a ladder to a beautiful view point on a ledge. The next was Kachina, (native spirits), Bridge which we just viewed from an overlook a few hundred feet from the road and then finally, Owachomo Bridge where we could walk down to the now dry riverbed and underneath the bridge. Although only a small place, Natural Bridges was still very beautiful and for all those people who think bridges are arches, there is a difference. Apparently, those arches formed by rivers and that 'bridge' the rivers are bridges, arches are not usually formed by rivers or over rivers. We had lunch Owachomo Bridge and left the park around 1.00pm. We drove down the local 261 to the Moki Dugway, which is a steep, winding gravel part of the road. It has a 10% gradient and several switch backs, however, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We made it down safely and continued to Monument Valley where we crossed into Arizona. We stopped in Kayenta at McDonalds to use their internet and have a hot fudge chocolate sundae. We had already seen online that the Navajo National Monument had a free campsite but we wanted to double check before heading that way.
