Sipapu Natural Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Sipapu Natural Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah.

According to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, Sipapu is the 13th largest rock span in the world with a span of about 225 feet and a height of about 144 feet.

This is the first of the three meander-type natural bridges that visitors encounter along the loop road in Natural Bridges National Monument.  The bridge is visible from a viewpoint at a pullout along the road, but visitors can also hike a trail down to the bridge itself.  The roundtrip hike is only 1.2 miles, but hikers lose and then gain back 600 feet of elevation and have to climb a couple of ladders.

This photo is from a long ledge along the trail that affords a great view of just how big the opening under this arc of rock is.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Delicate Arch from the rim of the sandstone amphitheater

A view of Delicate Arch on the side away from the trail that leads to it.  The trail to the arch is a 3 mile round trip that gains and loses 480 feet.

Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic natural rock spans in the world.  Many Utah license plates feature an image of this arch.

This is a free-standing arch perched on the rim of a sandstone amphitheater.  The opening is 64 feet high and 45 feet wide.  The Entrada Sandstone that makes up much of the outcrops of Arches National Park tends to form narrow fins of rock that are conducive to the formation of arches.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Bears Ears, as viewed from the visitor center of Natural Bridges National Monument

These buttes are called the Bears Ears. They are in southern Utah and can be seen for miles around, possibly as much as 50 miles. A new national monument bearing their name was declared by President Obama in December 2016 with the support of conservationists and five Native American tribes. The reason the tribes supported this is that there are many historical sites, such as cliff dwellings within the Bears Ears area, that were once homes to their ancestors. From a distance, it's supposed to remind you of the top of a bear's head with its rounded ears showing.

This view of the buttes is from the visitor center of Natural Bridges National Monument, site of three of the largest natural bridges in America, all in the same area. We visited the area over our spring break, early April 2017.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Delicate Arch at the rim of a red sandstone amphitheater, Arches National Park

The world-famous Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, formed on the rim of a red sandstone amphitheater where swirling winds carried sand to scour the formation into existence. It was windy on the day we visited the feature, along with as many as one hundred other people. The other side of the arch is a small ledge and then a steep cliff. It's rather steep all around the bowl-shaped area, but we were able to position ourselves at the opposite side and get distant shots that the usual photographer might not.

The snow-capped La Sal Mountains are in the background to the right.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!