Natural Bridges National Monument
Three majestic natural bridges invite you to ponder the power of water in a landscape usually defined by its absence. View them from an overlook, or hit the trails and experience their grandeur from below. Declared a National Monument in 1908, the bridges are named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu" in honor of the Ancestral Puebloans who once made this place their home.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Natural Bridges has gone cashless
The park now accepts only mobile or electronic payments for entrance & camping fees. You can reserve campsites and buy entrance passes on Recreation.gov, or only use debit/credit cards to pay in person.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleEntry fee admits one private, non-commercial vehicle driver and passengers. Entry fee is valid for 7 days. | $20 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $15 | |
| Per PersonAdmits one individual with no car. This pass is typically used for bicyclists, and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free. Entry fee is valid for 7 days. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid for one year through the month of purchase. Admits one (1) private, non-commercial vehicle or its pass holder to Arches and Canyonlands national parks, and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments. U.S. residents only. | $55 | |
Entrance fees (or valid park pass) are required to visit beyond the visitor center and/or camp overnight. Entrance fees are good for 7 days from date of purchase.
Hours
| Open 24 Hours | Daily · All Day |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Natural Bridges Campground | 13 sites | |
| $16 a night · The campground is generally open year-round. · 13 reservable | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Natural Bridges Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
During the main season (April through September), Natural Bridges Visitor Center is typically open seven days a week, 9 am to 4 pm. In the off-season (fall, winter, and early spring) it is open four days a week, Friday through Monday. Exhibits, a park film, and a bookstore are available.
Explore
Things to do
- Stargazing Events in Southeast Utah1-3 Hours
Rangers occasionally lead stargazing programs and events at parks throughout southeast Utah. Learn about what to expect and check out a schedule of stargazing events at Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national…
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Sipapu Bridge1-2 Hours
Sipapu Bridge’s tremendous span inspires and awes the imagination. Hike to the second largest natural bridge in the United States and, along the way, explore the geology of this fascinating region.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk to the Owachomo Bridge Viewpoint10 Minutes
This viewpoint provides sweeping vistas of the smallest, and perhaps oldest, bridge in the park. This trail is good for any time of day or season.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to the Horse Collar Ruin Overlook30-45 Minutes
Get a birds-eye view of Horse Collar Ruin from this mesa-top overlook. A short hike over slickrock provides the chance to ponder what life may have been like 700 years ago.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Kachina Bridge1-2 Hours
Named for the petroglyphs on its side, hiking to the base of Kachina Bridge is taking a trip back in time. Gain new perspectives as you stand beneath the widest, and probably youngest, natural bridge in the park.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk to the Kachina Bridge Viewpoint10 Minutes
This trail provides aerial views of Kachina Bridge and the surrounding landscape. Desert plants abound along this winding, paved trail. Conveniently located halfway along the scenic loop drive, this paved trail is a hub for other, more rugged trails.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 8Hide
- Hike to Owachomo Bridge20-60 Minutes
Owachomo Bridge is the most accessible and most photographed natural bridge in the park. It's also likely the oldest natural bridge in the park. See this ancient wonder up close with a half-mile round-trip hike.
Opens on the Park Service site - Walk to the Sipapu Bridge Viewpoint10 Minutes
The Sipapu Bridge Viewpoint is your first introduction to the natural bridges – and what a great place to start! This viewpoint provides scenic views of the second largest natural bridge in the United States and the largest in the park.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Natural Bridges National Monument Visitor CenterBuilding · Natural Bridges Nm · 1.4 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Natural Bridges. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Utah's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 172 birds, 47 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Cooper's Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-Owl · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Wigeon · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Great Blue Heron · Green-winged Teal · Northern Pintail · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snowy Egret · White-faced Ibis
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · California Gull · Killdeer · Lesser Yellowlegs · Red-necked Phalarope · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBlue Grouse · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Gambel's Quail · Mourning Dove · Rock Pigeon
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis's Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Robin · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black Rosy-Finch · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-chinned Sparrow · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-winged Warbler · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Canvasback · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) · Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) · Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) · Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) · Dusky Flycatcher · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Grace's Warbler · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Jay · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch · Great-tailed Grackle · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Wren · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Lucy's Warbler · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville Warbler · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Pygmy Nuthatch · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · Wilson's Warbler · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler
Small mammalsBlack-tailed Jackrabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Mouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Mouse · Crawford's Desert Shrew · Deer Mouse · Desert Cottontail · Hopi Chipmunk · Long-tailed Vole · Mexican Woodrat · North American Porcupine · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Pinon Mouse · Plains Pocket Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Western Harvest Mouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · White-throated Woodrat
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Coyote · Gray Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsElk · Mule Deer
BatsAllen's Big-eared Bat · Big Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Pipistrelle · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks
Weather & climate
Natural Bridges is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Natural Bridges?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. Entry fee admits one private, non-commercial vehicle driver and passengers.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Natural Bridges?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Natural Bridges-only annual pass is $55.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Natural Bridges takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Natural Bridges free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Natural Bridges?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Natural Bridges. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Natural Bridges open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Natural Bridges?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Natural Bridges: Natural Bridges. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Natural Bridges campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 1 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Natural Bridges include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Natural Bridges is $16 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Natural Bridges right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Natural Bridges has gone cashless.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Natural Bridges?
70,400 recreation visits in 2025, number 244 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is Natural Bridges good for stargazing?
Yes. Natural Bridges is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
