Kacina

Of the three natural bridges in the park where we work, Kachina is probably my favorite for several reasons. For one, aside from the stunning natural beauty that it offers, there are also a number of Native American artifacts at its base.

One the right hand arch of the bridge there are petroglyphs and pictographs that date back over 700 years, and down a short trail to the left of the bridge one can find an old stone wall, more cliff drawings, and amazingly, ears of corn also believed to be over seven hundred years old, still preserved by the dry Utah air.

I enjoy poking around in this small chunk of ancient history. Adding to the unique atmosphere is the reddish-brown soil, a darker backdrop than provided by the other two bridges. And as there are many deciduous trees to provide shade (plus the bridge itself) it is often a cool, shadowy respite from the heat of the surrounding desert. There are some fairly deep pools there as well, homes to tadpoles and other creatures. It is not hard to understand why ancient peoples chose this site to live in.

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