Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge is a 51-foot-high rhyolite cliff cut through by Bridge Creek, near Bridge Bay Marina. It makes a distinctive geology stop if you want a short hike to a natural feature; the arch is compact, and some visitors find it smaller than they expected. The National Park Service lists the walk as 2.5 miles round trip and one to two hours, so plan for a real outing rather than a roadside glance.

Start at the Bridge Bay Marina parking lot near the campground entrance road. The trail winds through forest, then joins a service road west to the arch. The park describes it as an easy, semi-paved accessible trail. Its detailed directions describe 0.7 mile through forest and another 0.4 mile west on the service road, which does not fully match the 2.5-mile round-trip summary; use the summary as a planning estimate. The trail continues past the bridge, crosses a creek, and follows the cliff before rejoining the road. Rocks in the creek bed can be wet and slippery.

A short, steep branch toward the bridge's top starts by the interpretive exhibit, but the top of the arch is closed to hikers and bikers to protect the fragile rock. Keep to the open trail. Pets are not allowed.

Bridge Creek eroded through rhyolite to create the opening. From the trail, look up through the arch and include the jagged walls and conifers around it; they show the scale and texture better than a tight crop of rock. Stay out of the slippery creek bed for photos.