Natural Bridges National Monument’s entrance is at the end of highway UT 275, which is roughly 35 miles (56 km) west on UT 95 of Blanding, Utah, in southeast Utah. Natural Bridges has made protecting its dark sky a priority, and in 2007 it became the first International Dark Sky Park certified by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). This beautiful site in southeast Utah was declared a National Monument in 1908. The bridges are named Kachina, Owachomo and Sipapu in honor of the Native Americans that once made this area their home. A stargazer gave EarthSky the following description: “No light pollution, elevated, clear and dry.”
need to call and find out if accessible at night
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.