NABSQNO 12S-503108-4103439 Utah
Rainbow Bridge has water under it
when Lake Powell is at full pool.
Photo by Stan Jones, NABS
NABSQNO 12S-503108-4103439 Utah
Rainbow Bridge has water under it
when Lake Powell is at full pool.
Photo by Stan Jones, NABS
You may sometimes read that Rainbow Bridge is the "largest" natural arch in the world, but this was probably based on the idea that the total area of the opening underneath the span was the largest in the world. However, this statistic is totally impractical to measure in most cases due to the varied geometry of natural arches. Also, we now know that at least two other arches in the world would exceed Rainbow Bridge in the total area of the opening (Aloba Arch and Tushuk Tash). The span of Rainbow Bridge was reported to be 275 feet by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1974. However, a more recent measurement in 2007, using precision laser ranging and a mathematically precise definition of "span," resulted in a span of 234 feet, significantly lowering its rank among the world's longest natural spans.
Whatever its statistics, magnificent Rainbow Bridge is truly one of the wonders of the world to behold. Rainbow Bridge is an adult meander natural bridge eroded through Navajo sandstone. Click here for a 3D photo of Rainbow Bridge.
Rainbow Bridge is in Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah, next to Lake Powell. The easiest way to visit this arch is by boat on Lake Powell. Boat tours from Wahweap Marina provide half-day tours and full-day tours (the latter allows you to see more of the side canyons on Lake Powell). For information or reservations, contact Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas at 1-800-528-6154.
Rainbow Bridge can also be reached by either of two strenuous and beautiful backpacking trails around Navajo Mountain. The southern route is about 13 miles one way. The northern route is easier to hike but harder to get to and is about 14 miles one way. The northern route also goes by another significant natural arch called Owl Bridge. This beautiful arch has a span of 61 feet and a height of 63 feet. With a car shuttle, you could go in one trail and out the other. It is also possible to arrange to hike in and then go out by boat. There is no camping within the National Monument itself. All of the hike except the small amount in the National Monument is within the Navajo Nation and a permit from the Navajos is required. There is an entry fee plus a per-night camping fee. These can be obtained from the Cameron Trading Post (not always open) or from the Navajo Parks Department, Box 308, Window Rock, AZ 86515, phone (520) 871-6645. A good description of this hike can be found in Hiking the Southwest's Canyon Country by Sandra Hinchman (The Mountaineers). Most of the route is on the 7.5 minute topographic map Rainbow Bridge, Utah. For the northern route, you will also need the Navajo Begay, Utah, 7.5 minute map. The very beginning of the southern route is on the Chaiyahi Flat, Arizona, 7.5 minute topo map.
A controversy has developed concerning access to Rainbow Bridge. In May of 1995, Rainbow Bridge National Monument issued a flyer entitled "Respect for Tradition" which urges visitors to "please do not approach or walk under Rainbow Bridge" because, it says, the American Indians consider it a sacred religious site. "People are now asked to stay on the trail and avoid walking beyond the viewing area at the end of the trail." Later that year the park service imported some boulders to discourage access to the trail under the Bridge, and they also placed park service personnel at the site to dissuade visitors from going under the Bridge.
The park service flyer states that "long before its 'discovery' by white explorers, American Indians considered Rainbow Bridge a sacred religious site." According to NABS Director Stan Jones, who is an expert on the history of Rainbow Bridge, there is no evidence for this assertion. Jones states that the Navajos paid little attention to Rainbow Bridge until large numbers of people were brought there by the tour boats on Lake Powell.
NABS has issued a detailed critique of this park service policy. Written by NABS member Harvey Leake (the grandson of Rainbow Bridge co-discoverer John Wetherill), the report concludes that the policy is of very questionable legality. Copies of the report are available from NABS on request.
In 2001 the National Park Service published a book entitled A Bridge Between Cultures: An Administrative History of Rainbow Bridge National Monument. This book is available for free download from the NABS Download Page.
Our next stop is Sipapu Natural Bridge, or ...
