Red Bar Bridge

Red Bar Bridge is at the head of a small wash in a gigantic flat area south of the Moki Dugway road. The Moki Dugway cuts through Cedar Mesa sandstone, but the bridge is in the next lower formation, the Halgaito Formation. This formation is also the base of Mexican Hat, which has a Cedar Mesa capstone. Red Bar Bridge is 85 feet long, with an 8.5 foot gap to the wall. The Halgaito and Cedar Mesa formations are part of the Cutler Group, from the Permian Period.

To reach the bridge Joan and I took a straight-line path through some horrible tumbleweed with sharp prickers everywhere. We returned to the car by the longer road route, which was much faster.

This area gives a great view of the Cedar Mesa sandstone cliffs through which the amazing road -- the Moki Dugway -- rises (below). The road is visible below rising from left to right. It then switchbacks to the top, reaching the paved road through Cedar Mesa. The Halgaito Formation lies under the Cedar Mesa sandstone(and the iconic Mexican Hat structure is Halgaito with a Cedar Mesa cap). These two formations form the Cutler Group, from the Permian period.