Most seniors and boomers who visit Natural Bridges National Monument come in daylight to see one of southeast Utah region’s most arresting landscape feature not designed by humans.
The monument designation at the park, 35 miles from Blanding, Utah, preserves what are considered among the best examples of natural stone architecture anywhere in the southwest. The area is a tree-studded mesa next to deep canyons in which there are three spans -- natural bridges – that were carved when streams slowly dug holes in canyon walls. The three bridges contained in the park were named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu” in honor of the ancient American Indians who made their homes near here.
Natural Bridges – “Exceptional Starry Night Skies”
However, the night sky in this particular park is so special that the International Dark- Sky Association designated it the world’s first great dark-sky place in 2007. The organization defines its chosen parks as “a park or other public land possessing exceptional starry night skies and natural nocturnal habitat where light pollution is mitigated and natural darkness is valuable as an important educational, cultural, scenic, and natural resource.”
This makes Natural Bridges a perfect locale for those travelers who have trouble hiking its moderately strenuous paths. Once the sun goes down, “There is a tremendous contrast between the bright night sky of stars and the dark canyon walls…it’s just beautiful out there,” according to geologist and astrophotographer Terry Acomb.
The paved scenic drive through the monument area has turnouts where visitors at night can pull over and get the full impact of the darkness that envelopes the canyon. In September and October as well as April through May the park’s high temperatures average 60 to 80 Fahrenheit, and lows average 30 to 50F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 during the day.
There is a campground where visitors can stay overnight in RVs (26-foot limit) or tents, again to view such nocturnal scenes as the Milky Way galaxy, millions of stars and planets, and such events as the August Perseid meteor showers.
The night sky at Natural Bridges is rates a 2 on a 1-to-10 scale of light pollution by the international association, making it one of the darkest places in the United States.
However, after being chosen as the first official “Dark-Sky Park,” the organization suggested that the National Park Service could go even further in minimizing light at Natural Bridges. As a result, park officials changed or modified 80 percent of the light fixtures, shielding them so all the light points downward.
Booking.com
To summarize, Natural Bridges National Monument, open year round, is as fascinating to visit for its nocturnal landscapes as it is to see its formations during daylight hours.
Author Sunil S.
The monument designation at the park, 35 miles from Blanding, Utah, preserves what are considered among the best examples of natural stone architecture anywhere in the southwest. The area is a tree-studded mesa next to deep canyons in which there are three spans -- natural bridges – that were carved when streams slowly dug holes in canyon walls. The three bridges contained in the park were named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu” in honor of the ancient American Indians who made their homes near here.
Natural Bridges – “Exceptional Starry Night Skies”
However, the night sky in this particular park is so special that the International Dark- Sky Association designated it the world’s first great dark-sky place in 2007. The organization defines its chosen parks as “a park or other public land possessing exceptional starry night skies and natural nocturnal habitat where light pollution is mitigated and natural darkness is valuable as an important educational, cultural, scenic, and natural resource.”
This makes Natural Bridges a perfect locale for those travelers who have trouble hiking its moderately strenuous paths. Once the sun goes down, “There is a tremendous contrast between the bright night sky of stars and the dark canyon walls…it’s just beautiful out there,” according to geologist and astrophotographer Terry Acomb.
The paved scenic drive through the monument area has turnouts where visitors at night can pull over and get the full impact of the darkness that envelopes the canyon. In September and October as well as April through May the park’s high temperatures average 60 to 80 Fahrenheit, and lows average 30 to 50F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 during the day.
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There is a campground where visitors can stay overnight in RVs (26-foot limit) or tents, again to view such nocturnal scenes as the Milky Way galaxy, millions of stars and planets, and such events as the August Perseid meteor showers.
The night sky at Natural Bridges is rates a 2 on a 1-to-10 scale of light pollution by the international association, making it one of the darkest places in the United States.
However, after being chosen as the first official “Dark-Sky Park,” the organization suggested that the National Park Service could go even further in minimizing light at Natural Bridges. As a result, park officials changed or modified 80 percent of the light fixtures, shielding them so all the light points downward.
Booking.com
To summarize, Natural Bridges National Monument, open year round, is as fascinating to visit for its nocturnal landscapes as it is to see its formations during daylight hours.
Author Sunil S.
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