The Tonto Natural Bridge Near Payson, Arizona

I went and checked out the Tonto Natural Bridge, near Payson, Arizona this past weekend. It was an awesome experience and I would love to share it with everyone. If you have never heard of the bridge, it is a natural bridge that was formed by a small creek. The Tonto bridge was discovered by David Gowan in 1877 , while hiding from Apache Indians.

The Location

To get to the Tonto Natural Bridge, simply head towards Fountain Hills and take the SR 87 north to Payson 80 miles. From there, continue north another 10 miles until you see a sign for the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. A word of caution, there are some roads with a 14% grade so be careful when driving.

The Hiking Trails

When I first arrived at the Tonto State Park, it did not look like anything special. It looked like a field with a parking lot and a ton of people. But I was amazed once I finished all of the hikes and saw the scenery.

There are three separate trails to hike, and they all lead to different places. Here is a little information I gathered from the trail guide they had at the park:

Pine Creek Trail - about 1/2 mile long, which leads to the Pine Creek natural area. They recommend wearing hiking shoes and say to allow one hour for the hike.

Waterfall Trail - about 300 feet long, and ends at a waterfall cave.

Gowan Trail - about 1/2 mile long, and it leads to an observation deck at the bottom of the creek. This trail also recommends wearing hiking shoes.

The hiking trails are a little rough, but overall easy to walk along. There are a lot of stairs when heading to the creek bottom, so plan on walking down a ton of steps to see the best views. Also, plan on getting wet because water leaks through the rock from the top of the bridge, and makes it feel like a light rain at the bottom.

I highly suggest taking a camera, and also bring along a case to put it in so you don't have to worry about getting it wet.

An Awesome Trip

I highly recommend checking out the natural bridge because it is something you do not see very often. Photos do not do it justice when it comes to the size of it. So head to the Tonto Natural Bridge and check it out for yourself!