Kachina Bridge

Kachina Bridge is a large natural arch located in Natural Bridges National Monument near Blanding, Utah.

Kachina Bridge
View of the arch
View of the arch
Kachina Bridge is located in Utah
Kachina Bridge
Kachina Bridge
Location in Utah
Kachina Bridge is located in the United States
Kachina Bridge
Kachina Bridge
Location in Utah
Coordinates: 37°36′0″N 110°1′51″W[1]
LocationNatural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Dimensions
 • Length210 ft (64 m)
 • Width44 ft (13 m)
 • Height210 ft (64 m)
Elevation5,781 ft (1,762 m)
[2]

Background

The bridge has a width of 44 feet and a span of 210 feet, making it the widest girth in the park and one of the longest natural arches in the United States.[1] It can be reached via a 1.4 mile round trip hike.

History

The area was first settled by early Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) cliff dwellers as early as early as 7500 BCE.[3] The current name of the arch was given by government surveyor William Douglas. He based the name off the petroglyphs and pictographs depicted on the base of the bridge, believing that the carved figures represented Kachina dancers.[4][5] In July 1992, Approximately 4,000 tons of sandstone fell from the inside of the Kachina bridge, enlarging the opening considerably.[6]

Prehistoric structures and pictographs at Kachina Bridge

References
  1. "Kachina Bridge". National Park Service.
  2. "Kachina Bridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. "Natural Bridges National Monument". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  4. "Kachina Bridge Trail At Natural Bridges National Monument". Poppin Up USA. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. "Kachina Bridge Overlook". Hikearizona.com.
  6. "Natural Bridges National Monument, Horsecollar Ruin Site". DesertUSA.
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