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Rainbow Bridge National Monument is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, southern Utah, USA. Rainbow Bridge is often described as the world’s largest natural bridge. The span of Rainbow Bridge is 275 feet (84 meters), and at the top it is 42 feet (13 meters) thick and 33 feet (10 meters) wide. Two other natural arches, Kolob Arch and Landscape Arch, both also in southern Utah, have confirmed spans several meters longer than Rainbow Bridge, but by most definitions of the terms are described as arches but not bridges. With a truly impressive height of 290 feet (88 meters) Rainbow Bridge does indeed stand taller than either of its longer competitors, but it is outdone by Aloba Arch at 394 feet (120 meters), which is in turn dwarfed by the world’s tallest arch, Tushuk Tash in China at an estimated 1,200 feet (366 meters). While it may not be the tallest or the longest in the world, Rainbow Bridge is the world’s most famous example of a natural arch. It is probably the most accessible of the large arches of the world, as it can be reached by a two-hour yacht ride on Lake Powell or by hiking several hours overland from a trailhead (obtain a permit from the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona).

- Shantan