卡奇纳桥，天然桥国家区，犹他州，美国 Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah (© Alan Majchrowicz/Getty Images)

时光通道 A passage through time

纪念天然桥国家保护区成立周年，犹他州

在犹他州东南部偏远的峡谷深处，天然桥国家保护区静静地诉说着时间与自然的力量。这里坐落着三座壮丽的天然桥：西帕普桥、卡奇纳桥和欧瓦乔莫桥。这些名字来源于曾在此生活的阿纳萨齐祖先印第安人，向他们的文化遗产致敬。其中，西帕普桥是最大的一座，其巨大的桥洞足以容纳美国国会大厦的圆顶。位于西帕普和欧瓦乔莫之间的卡奇纳桥，以桥基处发现的岩画和壁画而得名。而欧瓦乔莫桥被认为是三座桥中最古老的一座，其纤细的拱形结构表明它可能最终会自然坍塌。

1908年的今天，美国总统西奥多·罗斯福宣布此地为犹他州首座国家纪念地，以保护这一奇观。如今，这片神秘而壮丽的土地依旧保持着原始风貌。游客可以沿着小径徒步穿行，在高耸的天然桥下驻足仰望，感受大自然鬼斧神工的杰作，或是在这片以漆黑夜空闻名的保护区里，欣赏璀璨银河铺满天际的壮观景象。

Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Within the remote canyons of southeastern Utah, Natural Bridges National Monument highlights the power of erosion and the passage of time. Shaped by the relentless forces of wind and water, this monument features three magnificent natural bridges—Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo. These bridges were named to honor the Ancestral Puebloans who once lived here. Sipapu is the largest bridge, with a massive opening that could almost fit the dome of the United States Capitol. Kachina, pictured here, is equidistant from Sipapu and Owachomo. It was named after the petroglyphs and pictographs found at its base. Owachomo is believed to be the oldest of the three. Its thin, arching structure suggests it may eventually collapse.

Recognizing the significance of these natural wonders, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Natural Bridges as Utah's first national monument on this day in 1908. Today, it remains a place of awe and solitude, where visitors can hike beneath the soaring bridges, gaze at some of the darkest night skies in the country, and step back into a landscape sculpted over millions of years.

标签: 美国, 犹他