— On April 16, 1908, Utah’s first national monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was named Natural Bridges National Monument in honor of the three magnificent bridges sculpted by wind and water erosion. Although several names had been considered to these bridges, in 1909 the General Land Office decided to name them Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo in honor of the Hopi culture. Sipapu means “the place of emergence,” which is reflected by the arch formed by the bridge. The National Park Service (NPS) explains that the Hopi believed “their ancestors came into this world” via this entryway. Sipapu is the largest of the three bridges and is considered middle aged. In terms of years, Sipapu is “older than Kachina but younger than Owachomo,” according to the NPS. To give you some perspective of its size, the opening of that bridge could almost house the dome of the US Capitol. Here are Sipapu’s dimensions:
- Height; 220 ft (67 m)
- Span: 268 ft (82 m)
- Width: 31 ft (9.5 m)
- Thickness: 53 ft (16 m)
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