Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, Arizona

The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is located at a small and beautiful valley with a pine forest in it. However reaching the valley might be a challenge for many as a little bit of hiking is needed to reach Tonto. The northern part of the forest is not very accessible as there are steep canyons and hills.

This state park gets its name from a huge natural travertine bridge that can be found here. Actually standing at 183 feet, it is the largest such bridge in the world. The bridge covers a 400-foot tunnel and its width is 150 feet at the widest point. When you are standing on top of this natural formation, you can see the wonder of nature below, or you may also want to do some hiking and go down.

The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park was formed over million of years due to the Pine Creek eroding a passageway through the canyon. There is an interesting story on how this natural bridge in Arizona was found. It was in 1877 when some Apaches chased David Gowan and to save his life he had to enter this small valley and subsequently he stumbled across this bridge.

There is a lot to do here at Tonto. You can do some hiking. Then there are some beautiful caves in the valley that you can explore. The area is also a photographer's delight. There are some great trails you can go on, the major ones among them are the Bridge Trail, the Waterfall Trail and the River Trail.

The Tonto natural bridge in Arizona is located just 10 miles from Payson. The park is open round the year.