Parking
Use the small pullout on Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive, about half a mile beyond Bonita Canyon Campground. The pullout can be easy to miss, and parking is limited.
Overview
About Trail to Natural Bridge
Why go
- The walk changes from oak and juniper woodland to the Apache pines of Picket Park.
- The distant natural bridge makes a distinctive turnaround view.
Heads up
- Narrow, rocky footing, large steps, and repeated climbing make it tougher than a typical moderate hike.
- The bridge stays across the canyon; the trail does not reach it.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Chiricahua map
Full mapElevation5,548–6,102 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Chiricahua alerts
- CautionRabies warning for wild animalsRabies has been detected in Southeast Arizona; do not approach, feed, or touch wild animals.Official details
- InfoVehicle and trailer limits on Bonita Canyon DriveCheck vehicle length before continuing past Faraway Ranch Parking; there is no large-vehicle turnaround farther up Bonita Canyon Drive. The road narrows and winds steeply up the mountain.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Chiricahua Tour Guide
Your drive to Trail to Natural Bridge, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Chiricahua National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Natural Bridge Trail0:00 / 0:24
“You're nearing the Natural Bridge trailhead, where a canyon hike ends with a view of a small, water-carved arch.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Chiricahua Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Organ Pipe Formation
- Why Oaks Come Back
- Bonita Canyon Campground
- Sea Captain
- 26 audio storiesacross Chiricahua’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, White-nosed Coati, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 14 trails, 17 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Trail to Natural Bridge
Start with the full routeTrail to Natural Bridge is a 4.
Trail to Natural Bridge is a 4.7-mile out-and-back from a small pullout on Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive. The climb takes you through oak and juniper woodland to a ridge, down into the Apache pines of Picket Park, then back up to a distant bridge overlook before you retrace the route. Allow three to four hours and around 1,000 feet of climbing. The payoff is the varied walk and the natural bridge view, not a walk to the bridge itself.
Expect uneven, rolling terrainThe tread is narrow and rocky, with large steps and boulders; even hikers used to moderate…
The tread is narrow and rocky, with large steps and boulders; even hikers used to moderate routes may find it tougher than the label suggests. The route goes up, down, and up again before it is time to reverse the climbs. Sections of intensely burned country open the views, and the woodland changes from oak and juniper to Picket Park's Apache pines.
The bridge is across the canyonAt the end, you look across the canyon toward a small natural bridge carved by water.
At the end, you look across the canyon toward a small natural bridge carved by water. The bridge is separate from the trail: this route ends at the overlook and returns the same way. If you want a walk-up to the rock opening, this isn't that hike.
Find the small pulloutThe parking area is along Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive, half a mile beyond Bonita Canyon…
The parking area is along Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive, half a mile beyond Bonita Canyon Campground. It can be easy to miss, so watch for it as you pass. Dogs aren't allowed, and the narrow rocky trail with large steps and boulders is not suitable for most mobility devices.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Chiricahua
20 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
150 sightingsWhite-nosed CoatiMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
184 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsMojave RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
16 sightingsWestern Diamond-backed RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
12 sightingsRock RattlesnakeMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Chiricahua. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
