Natural Bridges National Monument
I was only back in Utah for about a week before we left on a 3 week trip to northern New Mexico via southeast Utah. Our objective was a build with the Santa Fe affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, but we planned extra time before and after our scheduled build to visit and hike in a few places, beginning with Natural Bridges National Monument.
Natural Bridges in southeast Utah centers around the junction of White and Armstrong Canyons through which the parts of the Colorado River drain. The massive power of water has cut the two canyons deep in the Permian sandstone over time, putting enormous pressure on the canyon walls separating the meanders of the wash. Over time these walls get undercut by the force of the water, forming natural bridges under which the river will now flow. We of course saw the 3 bridges that span sections of the canyons during our visit, but much of our day was spent hiking along the canyon rims.
Love Utah! I’ve never made it to Natural Bridges but I just completed all the “Mighty 5” this year. I’ll have to add this to my list to hit up next time I’m there.
Natural Bridges is a really neat place, but then again, the whole state is full of neat places. I’d strongly recommend Grand Staircase-Escalante NM.
I’ve hit up GSENM a few times in our travels through Utah. It’s a great spot! I also love that it is dog friendly for the most part. I take my dogs pretty much everywhere when I travel, so it’s handy to find places that will welcome them.
Yes, we love that our dog Abby can be off leash with no problems!