Natural Bridges National Monument in southeastern Utah preserves three large natural bridges—Kachina, Owachomo, and Sipapu—formed when running water cut through tight canyon meanders in white Permian sandstone on the Colorado Plateau. The area also holds evidence of long human history, from nearby rock art and stone tools dating to 7500 BCE to Puebloan dwellings and granaries built around 700 CE, including Horsecollar Ruin. Recorded by Euro-Americans in 1883, the site gained national recognition and was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 as Utah’s first national monument. It is also known for its high-desert ecology and exceptionally dark night sky.