Rainbow Bridge

https://www.nps.gov/rabr/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Bridge_National_Monument Rainbow Bridge National Monument is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, southern Utah, United States. Rainbow Bridge is often described as the world's highest natural bridge. Rainbow Bridge is one of the world's largest known natural bridges. The span has undoubtedly inspired people throughout time--from the neighboring American Indian tribes who consider Rainbow Bridge sacred, to the 85,000 people from around the world who visit it each year. Please visit Rainbow Bridge in a spirit that honors and respects the cultures to whom it is sacred. Rainbow Bridge National Monument is located between Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Navajo Nation. There are no roads in the vicinity of the monument. Rainbow Bridge can be reached by boat on Lake Powell or by hiking one of two trails around Navajo Mountain on the Navajo Nation, by permit only. Boat tours are available. The entrance to Forbidding Canyon is located at buoy 49 on Lake Powell. Boaters should be familiar with the Aids to Navigation (buoy) system and use a navigational map. There are no visitor centers at Rainbow Bridge National Monument There are no visitor centers at Rainbow Bridge National Monument There are no campgrounds at Rainbow Bridge National Monument Camping is not permitted at Rainbow Bridge National Monument Rainbow Bridge A large sandstone arch - a natural bridge. Stand here and take in the majesty of Rainbow Bridge - the largest natural bridge in the National Park Service. Aerial View of Rainbow Bridge A view of Rainbow Bridge from the air. Seen from the air, Rainbow Bridge is a graceful curve over the dry stream bed. A Crowd Views Rainbow Bridge From Its Shadow A large crowd faces away from the camera at the scenery. In the desert heat after the rough walk up to Rainbow Bridge from the docks, you take shade where you can get it. Rainbow Bridge Docks Boats and personal watercraft sidle up to docks. The only way to access Rainbow Bridge is by a two-day hike across the Navajo Nation, or a fifty-mile boat trip up Lake Powell. Jim Mike Returns to Rainbow Bridge An elderly Native American man sits in a lawn chair under Rainbow Bridge In 1974, Ute Mountain Ute Jim Mike, one of the guides who led the original expedition to Rainbow Bridge, returned to see how he had led the way for many more visitors. Park Ranger at Second Observation Area Park Ranger standing in front of perfectly curved sandstone arch During the summer season, Park Rangers will be at the observation areas to answer your questions. Anthropogenic Sources Amplify Vibration of Iconic Rainbow Bridge On August 4, 2008, Wall Arch in Arches National Park collapsed. While the forces of gravity and erosion may contribute to the collapse of natural rock formations like Wall Arch, are there other forces that may hasten the collapse of magnificent natural rock structures? The Rainbow Bridge arch on a bright, sunny day Arches National Park’s Free-Flowing Waters Visitors to Arches National Park experience natural free-flowing waters and have water to quench their thirst, thanks to an agreement between the National Park Service and the State of Utah. The sun sits just below the horizon behind Delicate Arch. The Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau is centered on the four corners area of the Southwest, and includes much of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Hazy Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture National Monument NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. [Site Under Development] trail and natural stone bridge Monitoring Night Skies and Natural Soundscapes on the Southern Colorado Plateau Many national parks in the Southern Colorado Plateau region contain large areas of wilderness, where dark night skies and natural soundscapes are important human values. Dark night skies, which depend upon the visibility of stars and other natural components, are diminishing resources in several park units because of anthropogenic activities. Natural soundscapes—that is, the natural sounds of wildlands—are degraded by sounds caused by humans or human technology. Clouds and sky turning red and orange over Navajo National Monument at sunset Veteran Story: John Pflaumer John Pflaumer is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Ranger holding child scissors Volunteer Story: Brent and Dawn Davis Brent and Dawn Davis have been volunteer photographers for Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge since 2018. Night photo of round sandstone arch and starry sky Coloring Glen Canyon Glen Canyon coloring pages. Image is a page like the ones in the coloring book. Download all ten in pdf format for coloring activities. Line drawn image intended for coloring Southwest River Environments In the arid Southwest, water means life, and prehistorically, rivers were the lifelines of the people. The Colorado River flowing through a canyon Climate Change on the Southern Colorado Plateau The combination of high. elevation and a semi-arid climate makes the Colorado Plateau particularly vulnerable to climate change. Climate models predict that over the next 100 years, the Southwest will become warmer and even more arid, with more extreme droughts than the region has experienced in the recent past. One result of climate change may be more, larger floods, like this flash flood in Glen Canyon NRA Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs ruled the land and air. As climate changed and rapid plate tectonics resulted in shallow ocean basins, sea levels rose world-wide and seas expanded across the center of North America. fossil dinosaur skull in rock face Series: National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geoheritage-conservation.htm">geoheritage</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geodiversity.htm">geodiversity</a> resources and values all across the National Park System to support science-based management and education. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1088/index.htm">NPS Geologic Resources Division</a> and many parks work with National and International <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/park-geology.htm">geoconservation</a> communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available. park scene mountains Series: Defining the Southwest The Southwest has a special place in the American imagination – one filled with canyon lands, cacti, roadrunners, perpetual desert heat, a glaring sun, and the unfolding of history in places like Tombstone and Santa Fe. In the American mind, the Southwest is a place without boundaries – a land with its own style and its own pace – a land that ultimately defies a single definition. Maize agriculture is one component of a general cultural definition of the Southwest. Jurassic Period—201.3 to 145.0 MYA Dinosaur National Monument is home to thousands of dinosaur fossils making it a true “Jurassic Park.” A vast desert covered Southwest North America in the Jurassic, and ancient sand dunes now form tall cliffs in many parks including Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. dinosaur skull in rock face Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs ruled the land and air. As climate changed and rapid plate tectonics resulted in shallow ocean basins, sea levels rose world-wide and seas expanded across the center of North America. fossil dinosaur skull in rock face Ranger Edmonia-Making Your Own History For Black History Month 2021, Ranger Edmonia shares her experience of trying to find her place in the history of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Park Ranger drives a boat with the sun at her back Rainbow Bridge: a Traditional Cultural Property The National Park Service has designated Rainbow Bridge a Traditional Cultural Property and International Dark Sky Sanctuary, recognizing the site's historic and ongoing cultural significance to at least six American Indian tribes, and establishing its listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Rainbow Bridge is the first site in Utah to gain a TCP designation, and the first site in the National Park Service to become a dark sky sanctuary. A group of people stand in front of sandstone wall with two aged bronze plaques embedded. Plan Like a Park Ranger: Top 10 Tips for Visiting Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Plan like a Park Ranger with these top 10 tips for visiting Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge. Hiker treks along the rocky trail Water Resources on the Colorado Plateau Describes the origin, uses, threats to, and conservation of water on the Colorado Plateau. Dark green body of water winding through red rock formations with brilliant sun overhead. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. My Park Story: Christine Longenecker Meet Christine Longenecker, the Community Volunteer Ambassador intern at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area! A person posing in front of rock bridge. My Park Story: Cindy Stafford Meet Cindy Stafford, Glen Canyon's Museum/Archives technician volunteer. person holds black and white image of stone building.