Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Natural arch at Lake Powell, San Juan County, US.
Rainbow Bridge spans 275 feet in length and reaches 290 feet in height, forming a natural sandstone structure in southern Utah.
Two exploration parties discovered Rainbow Bridge in 1909, guided by Paiute locals and explorer John Wetherill through the remote canyons.
The Navajo, Hopi, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, and White Mesa Ute tribes regard this natural formation as a sacred site.
Visitors can reach Rainbow Bridge through boat tours from Wahweap and Bullfrog marinas or by hiking trails near Navajo Mountain.
The natural bridge received International Dark Sky Sanctuary designation, preserving exceptional stargazing conditions in this remote location.
Location: San Juan County
Inception: May 30, 1909
Operator: United States National Park Service
Website: https://nps.gov/rabr
GPS coordinates: 37.07722,-110.96417
Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:53
Geological forces have carved openings, arches, and caves into rock formations across continents through millions of years of erosion. Water, wind, and weathering have shaped these natural structures from various rock types, creating landmarks that reveal the Earth's ongoing transformation. The formations appear in diverse environments, from coastlines where ocean waves carve passages through limestone cliffs to desert regions where wind erosion creates openings in sandstone walls. This collection spans locations such as Durdle Door along England's Jurassic Coast, where a 200-foot (60-meter) arch rises from layers dating to the Mesozoic era. The Faraglioni Rocks off Capri reach heights of 360 feet (109 meters) and include a natural passage navigable by boat. In landlocked regions, formations like the Eyes of God in Bulgaria's Prohodna Cave display symmetrical ceiling openings where sunlight penetrates the rock. Desert sites such as Las Ventanas in Argentina's Andes showcase wind-carved arches in remote sandstone landscapes. Each location offers direct evidence of erosion processes that continue shaping these geological features, from readily accessible coastal points to isolated areas requiring significant travel to reach.
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).
Antelope Canyon
43.7 km
Glen Canyon
60.3 km
Navajo Sandstone
44.5 km
Navajo Mountain
9.7 km
Coyote Gulch
39.1 km
Glen Canyon Dam Bridge
48.7 km
Canyon X
45.6 km
Gunsight Butte
33.1 km
Gregory Butte
23.7 km
Stevens Arch
39.7 km
Cookie Jar Butte
30.2 km
LeChee Rock
38.9 km
Dominguez Butte
28.4 km
Boundary Butte
29.9 km
Rimview Trail
47.3 km
Antelope Canyon X
45.4 km
Rainbow Bridge
33 m
Straight Cliffs
37.3 km
Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park
31.7 km
Navajo Canyon
39 km
Coyote Natural Bridge
38.1 km
Rainbow Bridge Canyon
2 km
Cliff Arch
38.3 km
Broken Bow Arch
28.2 km
Sunset Natural Arch
34.1 km
Peek-a-boo Canyon
41.7 km
Reflection canyon
13.2 km
Eggshell Arch
46.7 kmReviews
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