Death Valley - Natural Bridge Canyon EarthCache

Natural Bridge Canyon, with an official trailhead, is one of the many easily explored side canyons in the cliffs on the east side of Death Valley. A short walk up from the parking area along the pebble floor leads to a large natural bridge, one of several such features in the national park - several more are found in Little Bridge Canyon near Stovepipe Wells.
Natural bridge extends across the whole canyon and is quite impressive. The bridge is made of conglomerate with deep cracks running through the span. After the bridge the ravine bends a few times and enters a layer of red rock where the canyon narrows and at one point is partially blocked by a large boulder, but with room to pass underneath. Next is a big ….. (question 3) about 30 feet high. Above, the canyon seems to gain elevation more quickly, becomes shallower and branches several times. Other points of interest in the main canyon are several smooth vertical chutes in the walls, formed by flood waters flowing from hanging side canyons.
Within the walls of Natural Bridge Canyon there are many faults of varying size exposed. All faults are connected with events which formed Death Valley. Most of them are still active. Small faults are visible at the mouth of Natural Bridge Canyon. They are recognized as linear fractures in the rock which have been filled with light sand and mud. It is often possible to observe the amount of movement caused by a fault, by tracing "bedding" and other laterally continuous features across the fault. A larger fault, which has caused the formation of a large cave, is visible just a short distance beyond Natural Bridge in the north wall of the canyon. At the head of the canyon is Badwater Turtleback Fault. The Turtleback Fault has been actively sliding rock down into Death Valley´s deepening floor for millions of years, resulting in a total offset of thousands of feet. An excellent exposure of Turtleback Fault is located at the head of Natural Bridge Canyon on the south (right) wall.

Length: 1 mile to end of canyon, ½ mile to natural bridge.

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