A Bridge, Naturally

It’s not the only natural stone arch found in nature, but it is the first one I’ve ever walked across! We spent one hot and humid Saturday visiting the Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade, Kentucky.

The map said there were several different trails up to Natural Bridge, a sandstone arch carved by the elements that geologists believe to be at least a million years old.

I will admit I was slightly relieved that we just happened to park near the “Original Trail” that was described as the easiest way up and only .75 miles. It couldn’t be so bad, right? After all, folks have been hiking the trail since the 1890s.

I should have known better – that the only true easy way up the mountain was to buy a ticket on the Sky Lift, which we scoffed at…only to envy those sweat-free individuals later as they jumped off at the tippy-top.

Aside from the warning printed inside a pamphlet I picked up at a tourist info center, I would not have known to be wary of falling off cliffs while taking our “leisurely” hike. (Consider yourself warned: arrive at your destination before nightfall and don’t drink alcohol while hiking. I’m just telling ya’ what the guide says.)

I also saw no warning signs (there may have been some, but perhaps I had sweat in my eyes) that you should hold on to your children for dear life while traversing the Natural Bridge. The arch is 78 feet in length, 65 feet high, 12 feet thick, and 20 feet wide. That’s right – 20 FEET WIDE. There are no railings, so if you want to peek over the edge in a swift wind, do so at your own risk.

Albeit, the risk is worth it. And so is the extra little walk to the observation point, where you can see the bridge from afar. It’s right past the Sky Lift.