Rainbow Bridge National Monument

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Rainbow Bridge is the largest natural bridge on the planet by far. American Indians believed the majestic bridge created by nature, was a sacred place. They called this bridge Nonnezoshe, which translated means "rainbow turned to stone."

Rainbow Bridge has inspired people for generations with its beauty and magic. Tourists from around the world arrive in Utah, to enjoy the magnificent views of the Rainbow Bridge. In the highest part, the bridge rises some eighty-eight meters in height. In the upper part, it is ten meters wide, thirteen meters thick and is considered the most beautiful place in the Navajo mountain.
Rainbow Bridge in Utah

Unlike Kolob Arch and Landscape Arch, which are considered natural arches, Rainbow Bridge is recognized as a natural bridge. In various parts of the world are other arches, which are much higher than the Rainbow Bridge, but none of them recognized the true natural bridge.

Tourists love the Rainbow Bridge, because it could be reached after a two-hour boat trip on Lake Powell and a large amount of photographers come here to shoot this magnificent natural creation. Rainbow Bridge is formed entirely out of sandstone, which is formed in this specific shape - like a rainbow - during the Triassis and Jurassic periods.

At that time, significant changes occurred in the climate of the region - then the terrain was a Sea, then it turned into a desert like the Sahara and produces huge amounts of sand with different levels of firmness. At the end of the Jurassic, the sea returned again and covered the sandstone layers. Water compressed them so tightly that they continued to resist the time even in our days and in practice are almost indestructible by climate impacts.

At the end of the last ice age the Bridge Creek moved to the rising Colorado River and gradually managed to carve out the soft rock, but could not do the same with the sandstone, formed during the Jurassic and Trias. That made the beautiful arch shaped arc that is actually Rainbow Bridge. The previous rate of flow is still visible above the Rainbow Bridge.

By 1909, the bridge was not known to the public. In 1910 President William Taft came to see the Rainbow Bridge. President Taft is the founder of Rainbow Bridge National Monument, because he thought this amazing bridge should be maintained, because the shape of the arc is really wonderful.

Teddy Roosevelt was among the first who arrived here on horseback and then on foot. Rainbow Bridge gradually became more popular, more so as it can be reached from many places on the Colorado River. After the Glen Canyon dam was built, access to Rainbow Bridge became even easier and faster, which attracted a huge amount of tourists from around the world.

National Park Service complied with the request of several Indian tribes that inhabit the area and insisted that the bridge be preserved as a historical site, since for centuries it has been a sacred place for Indians.

Indian tribes mostly expressed concern about the fact that tourists have access to the bridge and walk under it.

Currently, it is possible to walk under the bridge, but this is considered disrespectful to this, as it is important to Indians there.