PINE, AZ — Located near Payson, you’ll find Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, home to the world’s largest natural travertine bridge.
“Number one, you won't find a bridge like this anywhere else in the world, said Caleb Jackson, Assistant Park Manager. “Tonto Natural Bridge is 183 feet high, 150 feet wide and 400 feet long, which honestly might not sound like a lot to most people, but you do have to come here and experience it to believe it. You either have to go to the edge of the canyon to the viewpoints to see it, or hike down here. It's a fully experienced Natural Bridge. But after they leave, people are always in awe of it.”
Tonto Natural Bridge was formed by a spring on the east side of Pine Canyon, bringing forth a lot of water and calcium carbonate that was redeposited across the canyon.
"So the waterfall, it still comes from that spring that originally formed the bridge,” said Jackson. “However, it's flowing at a much slower rate than it was to form the bridge, but it continues to help deposit calcium carbonate, helping to maintain the integrity of the bridge. So every day the bridge is growing, little by little, inches every year."
All the trails are steep, wet, and very slippery. You’ll be climbing over boulders and rocks, so make sure to wear sturdy shoes and take it slow. And if you don’t want to hike, you can enjoy viewpoints at the top of the park to see the bridge.
“Our longest trail is about a mile and a half long and through the bridge, this is our most treacherous part, but also the most beautiful part,” said Jackson. “We definitely want everyone to come experience to the bridge. There are people from all over the world that come to experience the bridge. It's a beautiful place to be.”
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is located at Nf-583A, Pine, AZ 85544.
Click here to learn more.
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