Sipapu Bridge, Natural bridge in White Canyon, Utah.
Sipapu Bridge is a natural bridge of Cedar Mesa sandstone spanning White Canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument, San Juan County, Utah. Its opening measures 255 feet (78 m) across and 220 feet (67 m) high, with a trail descending from the canyon rim to its base.
The arch was known as "President", "Augusta" and "Great Augusta" until the mid 20th century, when the Hopi word sipapu replaced those names. The Hopi term designates the symbolic portal from which the first human ancestors emerged. A laser survey in 2007 corrected the long-published span of 268 feet to 255 feet.
The name comes from the Hopi word sipapu, the symbolic opening through which the first human ancestors emerged into this world. Until the mid-20th century the arch was still called "President", "Augusta" or "Great Augusta" on maps and in park records.
Access is from a designated parking area where you can view the bridge from an elevated platform or hike down a trail to reach its base. The descent is steep and rocky, so sturdy footwear and good physical fitness are important for the full hiking experience.
Sipapu is the longest natural arch in the world with an active trail beneath it that visitors may pass under, after the trail under Landscape Arch closed and passing under Rainbow Bridge was voluntarily prohibited out of respect for Navajo and Hopi beliefs. The trail from the canyon rim reaches the base and gives views of the underside of the span.
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