We arrived at Natural Bridges in the late afternoon but we had time to take the road loop and view the bridges from above. With more time, you can take trails into the valleys and see the bridges up close. The photo below shows a bridge in the centre of the photo — it is a little difficult to pick out. These bridges are formed by meandering river beds in the standard ‘S’ patterns. The water flows in a deep cut and the ‘S’ collapses on itself and erodes the rock away between adjoining serpentine loops. The water then flows through the new hole and carves a bridge.

This bridge in this photo is a little hard to pick out but its pretty much in dead centre. The photo helps to show how the meander of the river would create a bridge.This photo shows Sipapu bridge. This slender and lengthy bridge is the most notable and familiar bridge in the park. You can see a good trail leading to it on the right of the photo.

 

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area 2001
Mesa Verde National Park 2001