2006 39c Rainbow, Lrg. Natural Bridge

U.S. #4060
Rainbow Bridge
Wonders of America

Issue Date: May 27, 2006
City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 204,000,000
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforation: Serpentine die cut 10 ¾
Color: Multicolored

U.S. #4060
Rainbow Bridge
Wonders of America

Issue Date: May 27, 2006
City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 204,000,000
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Perforation: Serpentine die cut 10 ¾
Color: Multicolored

The Rainbow Bridge is the world’s largest natural bridge. The breathtaking arch measures 290 feet tall and 275 feet across, which makes it taller than the U.S. Capitol Building and almost as long as a football field. The top of the arch is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide.

Water flowing from nearby Navajo Mountain toward the Colorado River eroded sandstone, creating the Rainbow Bridge. The formation is sacred in the Navajo culture, where it is seen as a symbol of the gods who are responsible for creating clouds, rainbows, and rain.

For centuries, the natural bridge was shielded from discovery by white men, due to its inaccessible and remote location in Utah. To reach it, one first made a long trip down the Colorado River, then a seven-mile hike uphill through Bridge Canyon in hundred-degree temperatures. In 1909, native Paiute guides led the Douglas-Cummings survey party to the landmark.

President Taft declared Rainbow Bridge a National Monument in 1910. Early visitors included former president Theodore Roosevelt and author Zane Grey.

In 1963, construction on nearby Glen Canyon Dam was completed, forming Lake Powell. The new lake engulfed the surrounding canyons and provided boaters with easy access to Rainbow Bridge.