The visitor center is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Let me tell you how sad the girls were they couldn’t pick up a junior ranger packet this morning…but it was host to 2 pay phones, the only other pay phone I know of is in Redwood Regional. No dial tones, but it was fun to watch the girls try and figure out how it would work.
There are 3 main natural bridges here. They were once named President, Senator, and Congressman. Then renamed to Augusta, Caroline, and Edwin. In 1909 they were renamed with the Hopi names Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo.
Natural Bridges differ from Arches in they way they are formed. Arches are formed by frost action and seeping moisture. Natural Bridges are formed by the erosive action of moving water. To be called a bridge flowing water is required to carve a hole through a rock wall. The streams/river are big looping meandering streams. As the water continues to flow, it breaks through and takes a shorter course and creates a “bridge”. An arch is freestanding and does not span a water course.
They are also from 2 different geologic time periods. Arches from the “Estrada Sandstone” formation and Natural Bridges from the “Cedar Mesa Sandstone” which is an older formation.
We walked down to the Sipapu Bridge, the 2nd largest natural bridge in the world (biggest is Rainbow Bridge in Glen Canyon). In Hopi mythology “Sipapu” is a gateway through which souls may pass to the spirit world.
It was a fun little hike down rock faces and natural ladders.
We are heading to Capital Reef National Park but its a pretty drive as we go through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
And we were told to make a detour to a must stop in Goblin State Park. Which was worth a little detour to climb around the “goblins” for an hour or so.
We entered Capital Reef National Park with enough time to pick up some maps and find a nice spot in the empty campground.
Capital Reef National Park. 13th National Park.
After getting our B U double T’s kicked by the girls in canasta the other night, Edwin and I made sure we did the same to them in return. Success. Girls not so loud right now…