State: Utah
Location: Natural Bridges National Monument
Length, Round Trip: 0.5 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Elevation Change: 180 feet
Best Season: April to November
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Moderate
Prairie Dogs in Utah Scrub
Trail Information
Owachomo means rock mound in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the southeast end of the bridge. Owachomo is the smallest and thinnest of the three natural bridges here and is commonly thought to be the oldest. We may never know for certain, as each of the bridges certainly have eroded at different rates. Regardless of its relative age, it is certainly the most fragile and elegant of the three spans and an awe inspiring feature of erosion.
From the overlook, the twin buttes called The Bear’s Ears break the eastern horizon. The original road to Natural Bridges passed between these buttes, ending across the canyon from Owachomo Bridge at the original visitor center. The old trail still winds up the other side of the canyon, but is seldom used. Notice that Tuwa Creek no longer flows under Owachomo like it did for thousands of years. The bridge’s delicate form suggests that it has eroded more quickly than the other bridges.
The easy Owachomo Bridge Trail descends from the overlook along the rim drive. There are several sets of uneven stone steps along the trail.
Directions
From the Visitor Center:
Drive west along Bridge View Drive to the Owachomo Bridge viewpoint and trailhead.
