Natural Bridges National Monument

North and a ways west of the Valley of the Gods is the Natural Bridges National Monument. This small monument encompasses a few stream drainages containing three fairly impressive sandstone bridges. It's well away from anything -- the nearest town is about 40 miles away, and isn't all that large. It also has a fairly small campground, so if you go in season, arriving late in the day may be problematic if you're expecting to camp. As it was, I snagged the last campsite, leaving a few slowpokes to fend for the alternatives (which, in addition to the long drives to the nearby towns, including primitive camping on BLM lands about 20 miles away).

Views of the bridges are accessed via the traditional driving loop. There are trails that you can take to get to the bases of the bridges, ranging in length from about 1/4 mile to 3/4 mile, as well as trails within the canyons leading from one bridge to the next. Bear and I opted to hike down from each viewpoint to see the bridges from below. We did have some interesting ladders to climb along the way...

Sipapu Bridge

Kachina Bridge

Owachomo Bridge