| Owachomo Bridge is the third natural bridge visitors will encounter along the loop road through Natural Bridges National Monument. Of the three bridges, Owachomo is perhaps in the most delicate condition, and perhaps the oldest. The bridge spans 180 feet and is 106 feet high (Huntoon and others, 2000). The rock layer across the span is only 9 feet thick, unlike Sipapu Bridge which is 53 feet thick, and Kachina Bridge which is 93 feet thick. In addition, Owachomo is fairly high and isolated from the stream that originally carved the span. Owachomo means "rock mound" in Hopi and is named after a feature on top of the bridges east abutment (NPS, 2006). Pinyon and juniper trees grow in the thin sandy soil in the upland areas such as shown here near the natural bridge. |
