N
atural bridges are the work of millions of years of erosion. Water, wind, and grit scour
and pound at a rock face until they force a way through the stone and make an arch.
Over time, they widen that opening, creating ever longer, ever more perilous bridges.
Eventually, these features will collapse, but perhaps this knowledge we have of their
impermanence and fragility is what makes them so appealing. We round up 10 of the world’s
most awe-inspiring rock arches.
PHOTOGRAPHY: TOP PHOTO GROUP
Utah’s Arches National Park is home to more than 2,000 natural bridges, the longest of which
is the spindly Landscape Arch. Stretching around 88m between two giant blocks of sandstone,
the arch rises in a shallow arc over the surrounding barren landscape.
Getting to the site is easy as it’s only a 2.4km walk from the park entrance. A hiking trail
once passed underneath the bridge, but several slabs of rock have fallen from the arch in recent
years, so that route had to be closed. These incidents also suggest that this incredible
geological feature may not be around for much longer.
Landscape Arch is the longest and most famous of the rock bridges in Uta
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s Arches National Park.
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