Natural Bridges National Monument Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

The Natural Bridges National Monument in southeastern Utah (25 mi/40 km west of Blanding and 255 mi/410 km southeast of Salt Lake City) boasts three huge rock bridges, the result of millions of years of erosion. See them by taking the park's short (9-mi/14-km) driving loop, where overlooks provide distant views of the bridges. For a closer look, you can hike to the base of each structure, though it's a somewhat tiring walk to the first two you'll encounter on the loop road. The third bridge (Owachomo) can be reached by a relatively easy trail that runs beneath the great arc of stone. Unless you're a natural-bridge fanatic, you might consider heading straight for Owachomo and skipping the other overlooks. Those in the market for a more ambitious outing can take one of the longer hiking routes that pass several of the bridges. http://www.nps.gov/nabr/index.htm.

If you head 25 mi/40 km south of Natural Bridges on Highway 261, you'll reach the Moki Dugway, another of Utah's scenic (and somewhat unnerving) stretches of road. It switchbacks down a steep ridge, with plenty of scenic lookouts over the Valley of the Gods.

Just south of the Dugway, you'll reach the turnoff for Goosenecks State Park, near Mexican Hat (http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goosenecks.htm). The park offers a magnificent view over the sheer 1,000-ft-/300-m-deep canyons of the San Juan River. The park's name comes from the serpentine route the river takes through the area, looping back and forth in great winding turns that can be seen from the park's overlooks. You can camp in the park, but there are no facilities or water.