Notice the long, curving, fairly level valley right below you. This is an important part of the bridge formation story, for that valley was the stream channel before Kachina Bridge was formed. The stream now flows through the hole under the bridge, of course, but before there was a hole the water had to run around this side of the mass of rock that now forms the bridge. Every time White Canyon flooded (which is every time it rained very much), the stream cut a little deeper into the base of the rock and most of the cutting took place right where the stream was forced to turn toward you. As flood waters roared around this curving valley, the shape of the canyon also threw them against the downstream side of the obstructing wall of rock, so that the stream was eating into both sides of a fairly thin wall. It eventually ate right through the obstruction, and from then on the stream followed the shorter, straighter route. Continued erosion enlarged the opening and cut the channel deeper into the canyon. Downcutting of the new channel left this old channel high and dry. And there it sits!
Actually, the water coming down Armstrong Canyon (on the left) also contributed to bridge development, but we’ll get into that at a [later stop].
Kachina Bridge
9 0.3 (5.1) Kachina Bridge, viewpoint and trailhead
Kachina is an excellent example of a young bridge. The thick, heavy span crosses a relatively small opening. The span and abutments are massive, not slim and graceful.
Pictographs
Below the bridge are ancient pictographs (drawings on stone) that some people felt represented or at least looked like the Hopi Indian gods called Kachinas. So the original name was discarded and “Kachina” was substituted.
As at the other bridges, there is a very nice little trail down into the canyon. The trail is in good condition, you can walk it without special equipment, and it isn’t especially strenuous. It is a bit steep, so coming back on a hot day you may find the trip can be tedious. If the weather is fairly warm or hot today, you may also want to take water. An hour or hour and a half is adequate time to allow for the trip—unless you fool around a lot.