April 13, 2019

By Tim Briese

2.0 miles, 500’ elevation gain, 2:00 roundtrip time

On our drive home from Phoenix in April my wife Teresa and I made a scenic loop through some of the spectacular canyon country of northern Arizona and southern Utah. On the first day of the trip we toured magnificent Monument Valley in Arizona before spending the night in the tiny remote outpost of Mexican Hat, Utah, beside the San Juan River. The next morning we viewed the Goosenecks of the San Juan, toured the Valley of the Gods, and drove the incredible Moki Dugway on our way to Natural Bridges National Monument.

monument valley

the goosenecks of the san juan river

valley of the gods

Upon reaching Natural Bridges National Monument we stopped at the visitor’s center briefly and asked for a suggestion for a hike to one of three great natural bridges in the monument. The girl at the desk told us that hiking down to Sipapu Bridge was her favorite, since it was the most adventurous, and we were immediately sold. Natural bridges are formed from erosion of water flowing beneath them, as opposed to arches, which are formed from wind or by other means. Sipapu is the second largest natural bridge in the world, spanning 225 feet across White Canyon.

view of white canyon from an overlook; sipapu bridge is near the center of the photo

We drove a few miles to the parking area for this hike and took off down the trail. It was an exciting descent of some 500 feet into the canyon, on ledges, slopes, and down ladders, with occasional views of the bridge below.

the route went along the ledge at the left for a short distance

then we went down this ladder

a view of sipapu bridge from part way down the trail

getting closer to the bridge

another ladder on the route

It didn’t take long to reach the canyon bottom beside the mammoth bridge, after coming about a mile down from the trailhead. There was some green grass and bushes beginning to flower in this protected spot. We walked beside a little creek directly under the rocky span and found a nice spot to sit beside the trickling water and rest for a while soaking in the grandeur of this amazing and unique place.

view of the bridge from below

the little creek flowing down white canyon under the bridge

Then we climbed back up the trail to our truck and took off. We continued on Scenic Byway UT Hwy. 95 over the Colorado River canyon and drove on to Green River for the night.