Bridge Mountain (Utah)

Bridge Mountain is a 6,803-foot (2,074 m) mountain made of Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park in Washington County, of southwest Utah, United States.[3]

Bridge Mountain
Bridge Mountain from northwest
Highest point
Elevation	6,803 ft (2,074 m) [1]
Prominence	1,123 ft (342 m) [1]
Parent peak	The East Temple (7,709 ft)[2]
Isolation	1.32 mi (2.12 km) [2]
Coordinates	37°12′22″N 112°57′58″W [1]
Geography
Bridge Mountain Location in Utah Bridge Mountain Bridge Mountain (the United States)
Location	Zion National Park Washington County, Utah United States
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Springdale East
Geology
Type of rock	Navajo sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 4 scrambling[2]

Description

Crawford Arch on Bridge Mountain

Bridge Mountain is located east of the park headquarters near the south entrance to Zion Canyon. Bridge Mountain was once originally named Crawford Mountain after the Crawford family who were early Mormon settlers in the canyon. But the name was officially changed to Bridge Mountain in 1934 when a natural bridge was discovered on Bridge Mountain. However, it was not a bridge, but actually a natural arch. For years, rangers in Zion Park told visitors that this was a natural bridge, hence the mountain's name.[4] A bridge is defined as a subtype of arch that is primarily water-formed. To avoid confusion, the National Park Service eventually named the span Crawford Arch. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the North Fork Virgin River. This mountain is composed of Navajo Sandstone, with a red shale outcropping of the Kayenta Formation exposed along the lower slopes.

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Bridge Mountain. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[5]

See also

• Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area
• Colorado Plateau

Bridge Mountain (left) and The West Temple seen from the east

References

1. "Bridge Mountain, Utah". Peakbagger.com.
2. "Bridge Mountain - 6,803' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bridge Mountain
4. Zion Arches National Park Service.
5. "Zion National Park, Utah, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.

External links

• Zion National Park National Park Service
• Weather: Bridge Mountain