Hike Natural Bridge Trail, Death Valley National Park, California

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Natural Bridge Canyon is found on the east side of the park and is one of the few canyons with an official trailhead. Located four miles (6 km) south of the Artist's Drive scenic loop, the canyon contains a natural stone bridge, accessible after a fifteen-minute walk from the parking area. This is an excellent short hike for families, geology lovers, and those who simply enjoy getting out and exploring. Although there is no official trail, a walk straight up the wash from the parking area will bring hikers directly under the bridge. Different from the smooth sandstone arches found in Utah, Natural Bridge is interesting because it is made of a jagged rocky alluvial deposit (rock, gravel, and sediment washed to the base of an ancient mountain and cemented together). Hikers who continue beyond the bridge up the canyon will encounter more examples of interesting Death Valley geology including dry falls, vertical chutes, and hanging canyons.The bridge rises approximately 35 ft (11 m) above the canyon floor and is about 35 ft (11 m) thick. Although rain is infrequent in Death Valley, over thousands of years, flash flood events have carved the canyon which Natural Bridge spans today. At some point, the water changed course slightly and ran just north of the present location of the bridge (look for this diversion as you hike). This diversion lowered the level of the canyon just above the location of the bridge. Eventually, the water returned to its initial, straighter course, forming a hole under the span of the bridge and eventually lowering the floor of the canyon even more, creating the bridge and leaving it high and exposed. Natural Bridge parking area and trail head is accessed via a dirt road 13.5 miles (22 km) south of CA-190 off Badwater Rd. Although the road is typically well-maintained and accessible by most vehicles, washouts and deep ruts can occur, so check with a ranger for current conditions.

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