Another post on how certain land formations got their name. The Navajo Indians thought that rainbows were the guardians of the universe and they held this rock formation to be sacred because of it. Prior to the creation of Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge was one of the most remote destinations to visit. Even now, there are two ways to reach it - a two-hour boat ride from Page or a 14-mile hike through Navajo land (a permit is required).
The bridge itself is made of sandstone and is thought to be the world's highest natural bridge. It was formed over thousands of years when the area was alternately a sea and desert. This produced layers of sandstone with different levels of hardness and compressed them so tightly as to withstand time.