Tonto Natural Bridge State Park has the largest natural travertine bridge in the world--this destination is perfect for those visiting Payson, Pine, or Strawberry, Arizona.
This past weekend, Adam and I took some much needed time away from our offices to get some fresh air!
When we were finished with work on Thursday morning, we drove up about an hour and a half from Phoenix and checked into our room at The Strawberry Inn. After a hectic work week, a few hours outdoors while exploring the town Strawberry was absolutely therapeutic--our friends at The Strawberry Inn recommended we check out Tonto Natural Bridge State Park for some local adventure, so we dropped our overnight bag off and drove a few miles from the inn to enjoy the view.
When we were finished with work on Thursday morning, we drove up about an hour and a half from Phoenix and checked into our room at The Strawberry Inn. After a hectic work week, a few hours outdoors while exploring the town Strawberry was absolutely therapeutic--our friends at The Strawberry Inn recommended we check out Tonto Natural Bridge State Park for some local adventure, so we dropped our overnight bag off and drove a few miles from the inn to enjoy the view.
When we first arrived at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, we drove about 5 minutes down a long, curvy two-lane paved road. It was an absolutely gorgeous view on the way down, overlooking the bridge and all of the trails below. Once we stopped to pay our entrance fee and grab a map, one of the rangers showed us all of the available hiking trails we could take along with the picnic areas and wildlife viewing stations (we are totally coming back for a picnic next winter!)
We opted to hike down Gowan Trail, just one of four different trails, which was steep and only partially built into a walkway. Since we hadn't planned on doing any hiking, we weren't exactly properly dressed for such strenuous activity (I had a dress on and Adam was wearing layers). That said, we were able to successfully hike both down and back up without any difficulty in about an hour.
At the bottom of Gowan Trail, you'll find an observation deck at the creek and the foot of Tonto Natural Bridge. You can look up and see the waterfall as well as the entrance of the cave--the beauty of Tonto Natural Bridge is a great way to experience what Northern Arizona and what Rim Country has to offer!
We had a great road trip and had a blast exploring this part of Arizona we've never seen before in our 2017 Toyota RAV4--it's always important to take some time to support your local travel businesses whenever you can, as well as visiting and supporting our state parks.
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@ OurMiniFamily
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Always nice to be out doors and enjoy what mother nature has to offer. Truly beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place! We absolutely love exploring new places and that bridge is flipping awesome! Definitely going on the list.
ReplyDeleteTonto Natural Bridge State Park looks like my kind of place to explore. I love that bridge, it's awesome and a great prop for photos.
ReplyDeleteI've visited Arizona before, but never went to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. I absolutely love your pics and am going to make sure the next time I'm in Arizona, that I visit the park.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a beautiful destination. We love exploring new, rustic attractions and just getting back to nature. I would love to take the whole family here to explore.
ReplyDeleteOmg beautiful photos!!!! It's always fun to wonder the great outdoors!!! I wish we had cool parks like this near by!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous photos! The scenary is breathtaking - and what a fun time!
ReplyDeleteStunning photos! Adding this destination to my travel bucket list!
ReplyDeleteLove quick trips and making memories with our grandsons. We travel a lot just to experience different places.
ReplyDeleteI totally love your travel pictures! Amazing and oh so picturesque. Will have to visit this someday.
ReplyDeleteI totally love your travel pictures! Amazing and oh so picturesque. Will have to visit this someday.
ReplyDeleteI live in Flagstaff, I had no idea there was this beauty here. Of course Flagstaff in and of its self is a special kind of beauty I will always treasure, but there's more to Arizona to be discovered! I'm happy to find another Arizona blogger!! If you ever travel to Flagstaff, let me know. I'd love to meet up!
ReplyDeleteWow look at all that natural beauty! So great to take a little time off to explore close to home, too.
ReplyDeleteThe place looks nice, as well as the Toyota Rav4 :)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are stunning! I am afraid of heights so I don't know if I'd cross that bridge but it is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing place to explore. I love that bridge. If it was closer I'd take the family this weekend to explore
ReplyDeleteI love going to places like this especially with the kids. It's perfect for spending quality time while keeping them active. The view is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI need to be more adventurous so I can enjoy experiences like this. Sounds so very cool. I love the area.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful bride... A wonderful photography location for Instagram too!
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