Best Canine Hike to a Natural Bridge or Arch
All dogs know that flowing water is required to carve a hole through a rock wall to form a natural bridge, while an arch is freestanding and does not span a water course but for the purposes of awarding the Waggie we are not making a distinction. What matters is finding the best hike to one of these eye-catching natural wonders and the nominees are...
Alabama Hills Recreation and Scenic Area (California)
Arch Loop
“A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again!” Sorry, this is where the resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States, as did more than 400 other Hollywood movies since the 1920s. In addition to being a movie set, the Alabama Hills, a jumble of rounded, weathered granite boulders piled across a desert flatlands that form a vibrant contrast with the sharply sculptured ridges of the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, also is a swell place to hike with your dog. The stone-lined Arch Loop is the only formal hiking trail in the 30,000-acre Alabama Hills, leading to the twisted, personal-size Mobius Arch that provides a literal window directly to Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48. Stone steps tame the small arroyos along the way.
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (Tennessee)
Twin Arches Loop Trail
The Twin Arches form the largest sandstone arch complex in the East. The hollows are so thick with second-growth timber at Big South Fork that your dog will not even notice when the trail crosses the top of one of the massive natural bridges. Don’t fret; there will be plenty of chance to appreciate these impressive arches from down below. Wooden steps help tame the steep descent into the rock houses. There are two loops to explore here; a 1.2-mile expedition to the arches and a full six-mile reconnaissance of the dark hollow. No doubt your dog will raise a paw to go for the whole tour.
Daniel Boone National Forest (Kentucky)
Auxier Ridge Trail/Double Arch Trail
Unlike most arches in the American West, the natural bridges in the Red River Gorge are tucked among a vibrant deciduous forest and are best viewed up close, often via a short trail from the scenic driving road. The more than 100 natural stone arches in the gorge represent the greatest collection east of the Mississippi River. Double Arch, with one opening on top of another, takes longer to reach than most, maximizing your dog’s adventure in the rock formations.
Colorado Riverway Recreation Area (Utah)
Grandstaff Canyon Trail
There are more natural stone arches - over 2,000 - in Arches National Park than anywhere on earth. Your dog won’t see any from beyond the parking lots, however. Luckily, just six miles from the park is a tail-friendly hike to the world’s sixth longest natural arch and America’s third longest. This canine hike pushes into Grandstaff Canyon, cut into Navajo sandstone by an ancient stream emptying into the Colorado River. The packed-sand trail crosses the shallow-flowing stream many times as it works moderately uphill through the open canyon, especially in the last half-mile. A little more than two miles up into the canyon, pressed back against a rock wall, is multi-hued Morning Glory Natural Bridge that stretches 243 feet across a pool of water.
Coconino National Forest (Arizona)
Devil’s Bridge Trail
Not named for extinct wooly elephants, Mammoth Cave earns its chops as the world’s longest known cave system with more than 400 miles of passages mapped, so many that the guides like to point out that you could put the second and third longest caves systems inside the limestone labyrinth and have more than 100 miles left over. Your dog will have to be content with the dark hollows and hardwood forests above ground. The Green River Bluffs Trail meanders through the thick canopy to a promontory above the eponymous river and ties into a complex of other easy-trotting paths. The route also leads to the Historic Entrance of the great cave that will deliver a blast of cold air onto your curious dog’s nose.
And the Waggie Award for Best Canine Hike to a Natural Arch or Bridge goes to...Colorado Riverway Recreation Area!
This Waggie winner’s name origins are almost as colorful as its hike. Back in the 1870s William Granstaff ran cattle in the canyon while he split up possession of the Spanish Valley with his erstwhile partner, a French-Canadian trapper known only as “Frenchie.” Granstaff high-tailed out of the territory in 1881 when the law accused him of illegally selling liquor to local Indians. All he left behind was his name. The canyon was originally called Nigger Bill until the 1960s when it was rechristened “Negro Bill.” Now, just last names suffice. The sandy route picks its way through the abundant cottonwoods and willows thriving here until the canyon swings left and heads uphill across open slickrock. The canyon walls and the year-round stream make this a doable canine hike even on a desert summer day. After two miles the multi-hued Morning Glory Natural Bridge appears, pressed back against a rock wall. Recent rains can transform the water hole under the arch into an ideal doggie swimming pool - watch for poison ivy, your dog won’t be affected but will pass it on to you - before retracing your steps back to the parking area at the Colorado River.