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In September we went to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park in Arizona
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150 feet wide, over a 400 foot tunnel, this feature is found 10 miles North of Payson, Arizona off Highway 87. (About one hour north of Phoenix area) It is made of travertine formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from water that percolates through the surrounding rock formations. Many caves are formed this way, Tonto Natural Bridge is like an above ground cave.
(More here)
It costs $5 per person to enter the park - well worth it, even if you just take a look from above.
We walked down the steep trail to the entrance. You are warned to hike at your own risk, and you should take that seriously.
Here is a cliff face that looks like a cave interior.
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Then we decided to walk through the tunnel - looking back at the entrance
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Looking through to the other side
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Water is dripping down everywhere,
the "trail" is slippery and is really a scramble over the slick rocks.
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Here is another part of the "trail"
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If you slipped and fell into the pool, cracking your head on the way down it would be too bad, the ranger station is a mile away.
Another view of the tunnel - see people in the foreground.
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Arrows point the way like in Journey to the Center of the Earth
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We made it to the other side where you can see cliffs inhabited by swallows and ground squirrels
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