10 Places With the Country’s Best Natural Bridges
By Christina Scannapiego
Active.com
Natural bridges are spectacular to see. And on top of the wonder they evoke, they’re also a good indication that you’re dealing with some seriously cool terrain for climbing, hiking, riding, kayaking, running, motorbiking and off-roading. Here are some of the nation's most stunning naturally formed arches and the deserts, canyons, forests, mountains and ocean that surround them.
Find a campsite before you go.
Glen Canyon, Utah
This marvel is perhaps the second or third largest known natural bridges in the world. Rainbow Bridge has been considered sacred by several cultures for hundreds of years and to see it in person is to feel why. Read more:
Santa Cruz, California
Of the three original mustone bridges carved from the cliffs, only one remains, surrounded by otters and dotted with birds. Aside from hiking and riding through redwoods, surfing and kitesurfing in the area is phenomenal. Read more.
Utah
Home to three natural arches, each named in honor of the Native Americans who had once rested their heads in this area, this park was also also touted the world’s first International Dark Sky Park. It has one of the darkest night skies in the country. Read more.
North Adams, Massachusetts
The 48-acre Natural Bridge State Park in the Berkshires holds the only natural white marble arch in North America. Visit the area and your practically sitting in Vermont's lap, so go play. Read more.
Payson, Arizona
It’s one of the biggest natural travertine bridges that we know of, at 183 feet high with a 400-foot long tunnel. The state park is tucked away in a small pine valley. Read more.
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado
The remote northwest of Colorado offers some of the most unclimbed and secluded peaks left in Colorado, not to mention untouched canyons. Outlaw Arch stands at 206 feet and if you plan on climbing there, you had better know what you’re doing. Read more.
Natural Bridge , Virginia
This mammoth wonder stands 20 stories tall. The sheer rock archway keeps many secrets of America’s birth (Thomas Jefferson once owned it) and the Native America tribes who lived in the Shenandoah Valley beforehand. Read more.
Utah
On top of canyoneering, for the really hardcore, and the seemingly endless miles of trails for those in need of a good hike, there’s Zion’s incredible geology. Zion is home to so many arches, but two in particular stand out: Crawford Arch and Kolob Arch. Read more.
Douglas, Wyoming
Tourists flock to see this bridge, but it’s surrounded by an old American Indian belief that an evil spirit lived below it. In fact, the whole area emits that ol' "frontier" vibe. Read more.
Utah
It must be clear by now that Utah is the place for natural bridges. Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 as well as a ton of other unusual rock formations. Read more.
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