Tonto Natural Bridge

Recently, the drought forced the closure of most of Arizona’s hiking trails.

We hiked around one of the few outdoor areas remaining open, the Tonto Natural Bridge park north of Payson.

The highlight, of course, is the natural bridge. The geological wonder is hidden in a small valley among the pines.

The bridge is 183 feet high and visitors can hike through its 400-foot-long tunnel. A chilly, tranquil, natural pool (swimming not allowed) is in the center of it all as it collects water from Pine Creek.

The park has plenty of parking near the bridge and restroom facilities are available. There’s also a gift shop in a renovated lodge that also serves as a mini museum of the area and its first founders, David Gowan and David Goodfellow.

Paved sidewalks lead to a couple of viewpoints, offering striking glimpses into the bridge’s tunnel. These areas are wheelchair accessible.

Luckily, in addition to being a tourist stop, the Tonto Natural Bridge park is a decent place for hikers to get their boots moving – if you work at it.

The park offers four short trails (three are extremely short). A map, available upon entry, details each.

We hiked each trail (some of them twice) and ended our visit satisfied with the workout.

The best of the bunch is the Pine Creek Trail. It’s also the longest in the system.

The Pine Creek Trail takes hikers deep into the valley and skirts the creek the whole way. There’s some fun rock-hopping to do in some spots and the view of the water (and a few waterfalls) is delightful.

It offers a refreshing “out there” feel, too, as trees grow thick on either side of the creek.

Finding the way is never too challenging, either, as conveniently placed arrows attached to boulders point out the path at various places.

The Pine Creek Trail brings hikers to a clearing and then opens completely to a full view of the backside of the tunnel.

From here, hikers have two options – exit the Pine Creek Trail to the right, heading up the Anna Mae Trail, or continue through the tunnel and hit the Gowan Loop Trail.

We went through the tunnel. Be forewarned: the boulders are slick once under the bridge, and some parts are simply intimidating.

The Anna Mae Trail is new to the park system (it isn’t even on the map, yet). It’s a short, serpentine path that winds down the west slope to the valley floor and to the creek. We hiked this one as an out-and-back.

The Gowan Loop Trail is the most popular. It’s steep and short, taking visitors from the top to the bottom of the bridge. Bring a camera. The views are excellent.

Another popular trail is the Waterfall Trail.

Also an out-and-back trek, the trail is true to its name and takes hikers down to, and under, trickling falls. The thick green plants, blooming flowers and falling water offers a rainforest feel.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is 12 miles north of Payson off Highway 89. Park entry is $5 per car.

This hike was first featured July 2002 and revised February 2007.