By Alan Silverstein, ajs@frii.com (page updated Fri Jun 25 21:38:52 MDT 2010)
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From this spectacular viewpoint, the Rincon looks like a circular crater, but actually it's an elongated abandoned meander of the Colorado River, 1.25 miles north-to-south on the upper bench. It consists mostly of a thick exposure of layered Chinle formation claystones, with some residual Navajo, Kayenta, and Wingate sandstones on top of that.
I speculate that the river was forced south as the Waterpocket Fold formed, but then the oxbow was abandoned "long ago". Weathering has left the far (south) end 200-300' higher than both "arms" where they met the river. Also, orange sand is trapped on both flanks.