Natural Bridges National Monument

Blanding · HC 60 Box 1, Lake Powell, UT 84533

Location Details

Visual Character

“Three of the world's largest natural bridges — Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo — carved from Cedar Mesa sandstone in a tight canyon loop. Ancient Ancestral Puebloan ruins nearby. Night sky is among the darkest on earth (certified IDA Dark Sky Park).”

About this location

Natural Bridges National Monument in southeastern Utah protects three massive natural bridges carved from Cedar Mesa sandstone — Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo — spanning canyon streams in a compact loop drive. Each bridge has a distinct character: Sipapu is the largest and most dramatic, Kachina sits in a narrow canyon slot beside Ancestral Puebloan ruins, and Owachomo is thin and delicate. America's first International Dark Sky Park, Natural Bridges offers some of the darkest observable night skies in the continental United States — meaning astrophotography with natural bridge foregrounds produces near-otherworldly imagery. NPS commercial filming permits required; contact the monument at 435-692-1234. The remote location in San Juan County, Utah means crews must be self-sufficient; Blanding (40 miles) has basic services. A high-value location for productions needing ancient bridge geology by day and exceptional star field cinematography at night.

Where you'll be