Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

In Pine Canyon near Payson, a natural bridge of travertine stands 183 feet high over a 393-foot tunnel up to 150 feet wide, with about 60 feet of rock above it. Arizona State Parks says it is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Most natural bridges are sandstone or limestone. This one formed from mineral-rich spring water, and a 1949 federal report noted a deposit that had grown 5 feet in 40 years.

About 500 years ago Tonto Apache began using the terrace above the bridge as a seasonal camp. In 1866 a US Army volunteer company came through and forcibly removed the camp. David Gowan, a Scottish prospector, homesteaded the 160 acres in 1882, and offered it to his nephew David Goodfellow, whose family arrived in 1898 and built a road and later a lodge for paying guests. The state bought the property in 1990 and opened the park on June 29, 1991. Goodfellow Lodge, built in the 1920s, now houses the visitor center and exhibits, but isn't available for overnight stays at present.

You can see the bridge without much effort from four viewpoints near the parking lots and along the paved path on top. Dogs are allowed there, on a leash, but not on the trails. The trails down are all short, but steep and strenuous. Gowan Trail is about 2,200 feet down and back to a creek-bottom observation deck, and Pine Creek Trail is about half a mile, mostly undeveloped creek bottom. Waterfall Trail is about 300 feet of uneven steps. Anna Mae is about 500 feet. Allow an hour for most, and wear solid shoes, not sandals.

Check the alerts before you drive up. On November 1, 2026, the park reported that the Pine Creek and Anna Mae trails and the area under the bridge were closed by rain and flooding, while Gowan, Waterfall and the top path stayed open.

The park opens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4 p.m. and trails closing at 4 p.m. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve end at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 for ages 14 and over and $5 for ages 7 to 13; younger children are free. Swimming and wading aren't allowed under the bridge. You may swim downstream in Pine Creek at your own risk, with no lifeguard. Bring two liters of water per person. There's no cell signal, internet or public phone.