Photo Tips USA – Natural Bridges National Monument

• Located 1980 m (6,496 ft) above sea level
• On average, 80,000 visitors per year
• The main month of visit is June

How, Where, What

All bridges are not created equal. Despite the common association between arches and natural bridges, this park offers a unique perspective, as the force of flowing water shapes its formations deep within the canyons. Thus, one must descend to them in order to get respectable pictures. From the heights of the lookouts, the bright sandstone bridges almost blend into the landscape.

Rock bridges like these are formed when a river course meanders, that is, runs in bends that are very narrow at their base. The narrowness of the bends increases the erosive power of the water, which reduces the thickness of the material between the river bends over time, leaving only a thin wall in some places. Once this is finally eroded and breached by the water, the river takes this new, shorter course. Of course, water power continues to gnaw at the rock and will also cause the newly formed formation to collapse after a geologically short time.

The uplands, light-colored Cedar Mesa sandstone, are thick with juniper trees, Douglas firs, and pines, and hanging gardens are also found in the moist canyons. Into them, the rivers have cut the three great bridges. If you are lucky, you can see peregrine falcons, mountain lions, lynxes, or black bears. Over 200 archaeological sites in the area reflect the good living conditions provided by these natural resources for the Native Americans.

If you have limited time, concentrate solely on the Owachomo Bridge located in the southeast of Armstrong Canyon. It is the most easily accessible of all and shows its chocolate side in the early morning. Kachina Bridge and Sipapu Bridge are located deep in the northeast-trending White Canyon. Because of this location and their light coloration, they hardly stand out from the surrounding sandstone when viewed from above. Their massiveness and shape only become apparent when viewed from below against the preferably blue sky. A little foreground helps estimate the dimension. Therefore, to capture high-quality pictures, you should venture into the canyons, ideally during the afternoon when they receive ample illumination.

The park is 40 mi west of Blanding on Rt-275, which ends here. Coming from the south, Rt-261 gets you up here via the steep switchbacks of the Moki Dugway. Apart from a basic campground consisting of 13 RV sites without hook-ups and a visitor center, there are no other services available. The park is open year-round, 24/7. Bridge View Drive passes all viewpoints as a 14.5 km one-way road. The Visitor Center is open daily from 09:00-16:00.

Natural Bridges in the seasons

Located at 1900 m (6,400 ft) above sea level, Natural Bridges NM has distinct seasons. Spring brings temperatures between 0° and 15° C (32 °F and 60 °F). Snow can fall until May. In summer, temperatures range from 13° C to 32° C (55 °F and 89 °F). Afternoon thunderstorms are common. Autumn is pleasantly warm, with values between 7° C and 18° C (45 °F and 64 °F). Snowfall can begin as early as the end of October. In winter, temperatures can drop to -15° C (5 °F), but 7° C (45 °F) is also possible. Decent snowfall is the rule. Most rain falls in the spring and late summer.

Motifs along the Bridge View Drive

Sipapu Bridge is the largest of the natural bridges and is 2.5 mi from the Visitor Center. In fact, it is the second largest natural rock bridge in the world after the Rainbow Bridge. In the Hopi mythological imagination, a sipapu is a gateway through which souls cross over into the spiritual world. The trail that leads to the bottom of White Canyon spans 1 km (0.6 mi) and takes approximately 1 hour to complete, covering an elevation gain of 160 m (525 ft). From the rocky outcrop halfway, you already have a very good view of the monument. The rest of the way is so steep that you have to climb ladders, steps, and railings. You need both hands to walk it. But the good view of the bridge from below is worth the hardships. The light is most favorable in the morning.

From the Horsecollar Ruin Overlook at mile 3, a 500-meter (0.3-mile)-level trail leads to the fault edge of White Canyon. From there, you can see the remains of an old Pueblo Cliff house on a large rock balcony on the opposite side of the canyon, which you can shoot with at least 200 mm of focal length. The ruin is not directly accessible and features two granaries and a ceremonial kiva.

Kachina Bridge is probably the youngest of the three bridges because it is the least eroded. This means it is still very massive (a good 30 m / 98 ft thick) and has a comparatively small opening, because of which it cannot be seen well from the vantage point. It owes its name to the Kachina dancers, who play an important role in the Hopi spiritual tradition. The viewpoint is 5 mi from the visitor center. The trail down to the bridge measures 1,1 km (0.7 mi) with an elevation gain of 122 m / 400 ft (1 hour roundtrip). There are several petroglyphs at the base of the trail.

Owachomo Bridge is the smallest and most fragile of the three bridges and is located in Armstrong Canyon. Tuwa Creek, which eroded it particularly quickly, no longer flows under it. Its viewpoint is 7 mi from the visitor center. The trail down measures only 400 m (¼ mi) with a 55 m (180 ft) elevation gain (30 min roundtrip). Several small pools of water at the bottom of the canyon in front of the thin arch of the rock bridge provide reflections and interesting photo opportunities. Although the other two bridges surpass it in size, Owachomo Bridge’s easy accessibility makes it a must-see.

If you have a half day, you can hike all three rock bridges on a loop trail through the mostly level gorges. From Sipapu Bridge, follow White Canyon, then Armstrong Canyon to Kachina and Owachomo Bridges, then return to the trailhead via the Mesa. It makes for a 13,8 km (8.5 mi) round trip. However, the 9 km (5.6 mi) between Sipapu Bridge and Kachina Bridge are the most beautiful and therefore actually sufficient. Just a few hundred meters past the junction of White Canyon and Deer Canyon, you pass some Indian ruins on a ledge on the right side of White Canyon. If you want to go back up to the Mesa at Kachina Bridge, don’t follow the trail straight on, but turn left just below the bridge.

Minimum program and daily schedule

Half a day. Descend into a canyon on the Bridge View Drive roundtrip and take in an ensemble of bridge and river.

If you found this post useful and want to support the continuation of my writing without intrusive advertising, please consider supporting. Your assistance goes towards helping make the content on this website even better. If you’d like to make a one-time ‘tip’ and buy me a coffee, I have a Ko-Fi page. Your support means a lot. Thank you!