By Stacy
En Route
Summertime visits to southern Utah’s national parks can be a bit dicey. The crowds get big and the temps get high. The worst of both worlds. Spring is also a very popular time to visit the region, but you don’t have to head for the deep backcountry to find solitude or the mountains to find cool temps. All that’s really required for the perfect day is simply to avoid the most blatantly front-country spots. Yes, I’m talking about you, Arches.
An excellent option for a springtime visit to canyon country is Natural Bridges National Monument. NBNM is remote, but easy to find and navigate. It’s fair to say it is a little less achingly beautiful than Arches, but that isn’t to say its location on the overwhelming Cedar Mesa isn’t stunning. Another way to look at NBNM is that it is one of the easiest, safest ways to sample the hardcore backcountry of the Colorado Plateau, a ready-made opportunity to ponder The Aron Ralston Experience without laying it all on the line.
On the Trail
The only trail running route of consequence at Natural Bridges is the 8.6-mile Loop Trail. I elect to start from the Sipapu Bridge trailhead and proceed counterclockwise. This means that my run begins with a short, chutes-and-ladders (really) descent from the rim of White Canyon to its floor. For a minute, the trail passes along a narrow shelf between the overhanging cliff wall and a stand of ponderosa, then wiggles its way to the canyon floor, touching bottom beneath Sipapu Bridge. Cool.
From there, the trail takes a hard left and begins meandering along its prescribed course between the canyon walls. For the remainder of my time in the canyon I have complete solitude except for a few hikers near each of the remaining two natural bridges — Kachina and Owachomo. The shadows thrown by the cliff walls gradually recede and the temperature slowly climbs, so that by the time I climb out of the canyon and cross the mesa back to the Sipapu trailhead, I’m reminded how great it is to be here in March instead of mid-summer.
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Natural Bridges is located in the high desert canyon country of San Juan County Utah. It shares its neighborhood with Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley to the south, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Lake Powell) to the west, and Manti-La Sal National Forest to the north and east. Population in the region is, uh, sparse. Less than 15,000 people make their home in San Juan County, which is almost exactly the same size as Massachusetts. What that means in real terms may not sink in until you visit.
Finding NBNM doesn’t require any special local knowledge or a four-wheel drive vehicle, just a willingness to drive. Directions to Natural Bridges from Blanding, Utah:
- South on US 191 for 4.00 miles
- West (right) on UT 95 for 30.2 miles
- North (right) on UT 275 3.9 miles to Visitor Center
Entrance to the Monument requires a fee ($3/individual, $6/car) or a federal lands pass. A paved 9-mile scenic loop road follows the rim of White Canyon from the visitor center. Trailheads and overlooks are located at regular intervals along this road. You can plug into the Loop Trail from the trailhead of any of the three natural bridges: Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo.
There is a decent selection of cheap motels (Comfort Inn, etc.) in Blanding. Or, for $10/night, you can camp at one of 13 improved sites at NBNM, which are doled out on a first-come, first-served basis. Dispersed, primitive camping is also an option outside the Monument on BLM-managed property (Comb Wash is a good option between Blanding and NBNM). If you go this route, be sure to observe minimum impact camping practices.
Degree of Difficulty
- Technical: Moderate
- Physical: Moderate
- Total Distance: 8.6 miles
- Total Ascent: 2,900
- Total Descent: 2,900
Elevation Profile
What to Expect
The Loop Trail is 100% singletrack or slickrock through two discrete environments, one canyon and the other mesa. The canyon section of the loop follows the meandering White Canyon and is about 75% of the total distance. The trail here uses most of the width of the canyon floor as it winds from sandy wash to slickrock bench and back again. Much of the trail has good shade, either from overhanging rock walls or lush riparian vegetation (willows and cottonwood trees in the wash, PJ outside the wash). The trail passes beneath all three of the natural bridges. Another point of interest is Horsecollar Ruin, which is located just a bit down canyon from Sipapu Bridge. Small pools of standing water are common much of the year. Reaching the canyon floor requires a descent of about one mile and 500 vertical feet from the canyon rim. What goes down must come up.
The mesa section of the trail is a little over two miles in length. It consists of rolling terrain through a nice PJ (pinyon and juniper) forest with intermittent slickrock fields. Exposure on the trail, both in the canyon and on the mesa, is quite reasonable for this part of the country: the trail mostly steers clear of major drop-offs, and accidental detours into the canyons that feed into White Canyon are quite easily avoided. Still, bear in mind that NBNM sits within a huge, isolated wildland and should not be treated too casually.
Given an elevation of 6,000 feet, morning temperatures are quite pleasant even during the peak of summer, but the arid air heats quickly and high temps of 100° or more are common during the peak of summer. An early start is strongly advised during the summer. Weather during the shoulder seasons is incredible. NBNM’s roughly 100,000 annual visitors are thickest between Memorial and Labor Day and cluster at the scenic overlooks and along the short trail segments near the natural bridges themselves. Winter can be an amazing time to visit, but keep in mind that even the desert gets very cold at this elevation.
Interactive Map (new window)
Playlist to/from Trailhead
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