Millions of years ago, the Wasatch Mountains were created when magma under the surface pushed up. Because of all this upward pressure, there were small pockets and breaks that started to form as well. Many caves were formed this way, and Timpanogos Cave is one of them. The cave is home to amazing helictites that are created by water that evaporates and leaves minerals behind. You can also see cave bacon, cave columns, flowstone, cave popcorn, cave drapery, stalactites, and stalagmites. Many of the formations you see inside the cave have taken hundreds of thousands of years to form. The cave was made a National Monument in 1922 so it can be protected, and many more people can see the amazing natural wonders inside the cave.
Cassidy Arch
This arch is located in Capitol Reef National Park in Southeast Utah. It became a National Park in 1971. The arch is made up of sandstone and sits on top of the Grand Wash, which is a dry bed inside the sandstone canyon with cliffs going up on either side about 800 feet. When there is a lot of rain in Utah, the dry bed could get washed out and keep traffic from driving down it, as I experienced a few years ago myself. I had to hike in through the wash bed instead of driving to get to the start of the trail that would take me up to Cassidy Arch. The entire trip was around 8 miles this way. Cassidy Arch was formed when wind, rain, and ice created patterns and holes in the rock and carved out the arch over time. Water would get trapped inside cracks and fissures and expand when it freezes. This would cause certain parts of the rock to break off. Each storm, this would happen, and over time, more and more would be carved out by nature itself.
Bridal Veil Falls
Cascade Mountain is the mountain next to Timpanogos Mountain. Bridal Veil Falls is a large waterfall that runs down Cascade Mountain at the beginning of Provo Canyon. The mountain contains limestone that was formed about 350 million years ago. There is a lot of sand also in the mountains, meaning that there used to be a lot of water next to them. Provo Canyon itself was formed from all the water that used to be in the area from Lake Bonneville. Lake Bonneville almost covered the entire state of Utah and had lots of glaciers that would carve out all the smaller canyons over time. On top of the mountain are natural springs that run down. Bridal Veil Falls is the result of a year-round, powerful spring. The falls have a lot of water that flows continually and even gets stronger if there has been a wet winter that left a lot of snow on top of the mountain. The water, over time, has carved nice little paths to keep the water flowing, and that has turned into the giant waterfall that many tourists go to see.
Bonneville Salt Flats
The flats were created when the water that once covered almost all of Utah evaporated. Bonneville Lake was probably the size of Lake Michigan today. Salt deposits were left behind as more of the lake evaporated. Wind kept the area relatively flat as there was nothing to stop it. Most winters, a small layer of water will be on top of the flats, and then it will evaporate again as the weather warms up. The winds that are in that area push the sediment around and keep it just as flat as it was before. The surface of the flats is made up of potassium, sodium chloride, magnesium, and lithium, which is basically salt. The flats have become a popular destination for tourists, as it is uncommon to see such a large flat white area in the middle of nowhere
[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025
The flats were created when the water that once covered almost all of Utah evaporated. Bonneville Lake was probably the size of Lake Michigan today. Salt deposits were left behind as more of the lake evaporated. Wind kept the area relatively flat as there was nothing to stop it. Most winters, a small layer of water will be on top of the flats, and then it will evaporate again as the weather warms up. The winds that are in that area push the sediment around and keep it just as flat as it was before. The surface of the flats is made up of potassium, sodium chloride, magnesium, and lithium, which is basically salt. The flats have become a popular destination for tourists, as it is uncommon to see such a large flat white area in the middle of nowhere
[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025
