Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a natural rock span joining two tall hoodoo towers below the rim in a shady part of Fairyland Loop. The formation is reached by a quarter-mile spur from the loop. It’s most rewarding as a stop on a Fairyland hike; going out and back for the bridge alone still means a 3-mile hike with 760 feet of climbing. Plan on 2 to 3 hours from the trailhead near Sunrise Point.

Start at the Tower Bridge trailhead north of Sunrise Point, where parking is available. The trail descends from the rim into the canyon, then returns uphill the same way. The park rates it moderate; the natural surface is not considered accessible. Carry water for the climb back out. There’s no food, restroom, or water at the arch; seasonal restrooms and a water-fill station are available at the General Store near Sunrise Point. Pets aren’t allowed on the trail; service animals are permitted.

At the spur’s end, you’re close beneath the bridge, and trees can interrupt a full view from there. Look back toward the arch from higher on the trail for a less obstructed angle. The connected towers stand out best with some of the surrounding slope in the frame, which gives the span a sense of scale.

The park’s hoodoo layers began as sediment laid down in an ancient lake and floodplain basin about 50 million years ago. After uplift, rain and repeated freeze-thaw cycles worked cracks wider, cutting the plateau into walls, windows, and isolated towers. Tower Bridge is one of those eroded forms, with a rock span still linking its neighboring towers.