Hike to Sipapu Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

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Sipapu Bridge is a natural bridge or arch located in the Natural Bridges National Monument in the U.S. state of Utah. The bridge spans White Canyon. Sipapu Bridge is the largest natural bridge in the park and the second largest in the United States (after Rainbow Bridge National Monument). Admire its 268-foot (82-meter) span up close with a hike to the bridge’s base. Sipapu’s size inspired its many names, including President. Sipapu Bridge’s current name is Hopi for “place of emergence,” or the opening through which Hopi ancestors entered this world. Sipapu can be viewed from a roadside viewpoint but is best viewed from a short hiking trail that leads down to its base from the canyon rim. Since the closure of the trail leading under Landscape Arch due to safety concerns, and the voluntary prohibition placed on passing under Rainbow Bridge in deference to (often debated) Navajo and Hopi spiritual beliefs, Sipapu is now the longest natural arch in the world to have an active trail beneath it that visitors may pass under, affording spectacular views of the underside of the arch. The name of the arch comes from the Hopi wordsipapu, a word for a symbolic portal from which the first human ancestors emerged. Start at the Sipapu Bridge Trailhead parking area (different from the Sipapu Viewpoint parking area). Follow the trail to the bottom, 0.7 mile (1 kilometer) one-way. Length Roundtrip: 1.4 miles (2 kilometers)Elevation Change One-way (from Rim to Base): 436 feet (133 meters) loss, 11 feet (3 meters) gain The nearest restroom is a pit toilet located at the Kachina Bridge parking area. There are flush toilets outside the visitor center. The nearest water is available at the visitor center.

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