Ayres Natural Bridge Park
| Ayres Natural Bridge Park | |||
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| Location: | Wyoming , United States | ||
| Next city: | Douglas (WY) | ||
| Surface: | 0.6 km² | ||
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The approximately 0.6 km 2 large Ayres Natural Bridge Park is a protected area of Converse County , Wyoming . It is located about 14 miles west of the city of Douglas , near the I-25 freeway, at an altitude of about 1,400 meters above sea level. Its main attraction is about 10 feet high, 15 feet wide natural bridge ( engl. : Natural bridge ) of red sandstone over the LaPrele Creek.
Emergence
The predominant sandstone here has its origin in the Pennsylvania , so it was formed about 300 million years ago. The stone bridge was created in the course of the meandering river. Such natural bridges can arise when a loop of the river is directly on the sandstone wall and the flow speed of the river is high. The wall is slowly sanded down at one point by the debris carried along until the river has finally made the breakthrough and continues on its way, enlarging the hole over time. The name of the park comes from the rock of the same name, which comes from the original owner of the ranch in this area. Alvah W. Ayres settled in around 1882. His son Andrew C. Ayers bequeathed the park to Converse County in May 1920.
history
For the Indians who lived in this area before the settlement by European immigrants , this place is a deadly place. A young warrior was fatally struck by lightning on the bridge while hunting in the canyon . Then the legend arose that an evil spirit lives under the bridge. Indians therefore avoid the bridge and the surrounding area. Some settlers who moved west on the Oregon Trail about 2 kilometers away took advantage of this fact by stopping here to be safe from attacks by the Indians, at least for this time.
The concrete building at the park entrance was built by the North Platte Vally Irrigation Company in early 1900. Here, electricity was to be generated to pump up water from the North Platte River to irrigate the surrounding land. The LaPrele Dam , about 3 kilometers south of the building, was supposed to hold the water for this. The company went bankrupt before the project could be completed.
deals
Entry to the park is free, it is equipped with landscaped paths, parking lots, picnic areas with tables, a playground and public toilets . There is also a small campsite in the park. It is open from April 1st to September 30th. Pets are not allowed in the park.
Individual evidence
- ^ Wyoming Tourism Information
- ↑ Wyomingplaces: History of the Park ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Converse County Information ( Memento of May 15, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Reprint of the Convers County brochure on the park ( Memento of March 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) in Archive.is .
