Today’s armchair travel takes you to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park.
The
Southwest is full of state parks, national parks, and historic sites. It would
be easy to miss this one, but it’s well worth a visit. A short trail takes you
to several viewpoints where you can see down into the canyon. Even walkers and
wheelchairs could make it to some of the viewpoints.
If you like hiking, plan to spend several hours there! The
trails are all short but steep and strenuous. They’ll take you into the canyon
and underneath the bridge. On a hot day, the splashing stream and the breeze
across the water are refreshing. You might have to drag the kids (or yourself)
away.
The entrance fee is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 7 to 13, and
younger children free. Unfortunately, you can’t camp at the park, and it closes
at 5 PM. But it’s certainly worth a stop, especially if you’re in Payson or
traveling between Winslow Arizona and the Phoenix area on Highway 87.
Picnic tables near the parking lot (at the top of the
bridge) allow for a rest and snack, although it will likely be extremely hot in
summer. The historic lodge has exhibits on the geology, prehistoric
inhabitants, and history of the Lodge. Groups can reserve Goodfellow Lodge
for daytime or overnight events.
Kris Bock lives in New Mexico, where she enjoys hiking,
watching the sunset from her patio, and hanging out with her husband and their
ferrets. Her BFA in photography is used mainly to show Facebook friends how
lovely New Mexico is.
Kris writes novels of suspense and romance in dramatic
Southwestern landscapes. In The Mad Monk’s Treasure, friends
hunt for a lost treasure in the desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure,
relatives compete to find a buried treasure. In The Skeleton Canyon
Treasure, reader favorites Camie and the cat Tiger help track down a
missing man.
Whispers in the Dark brings romance and suspense
to an archaeology dig among ancient Southwest ruins. In the romantic mystery What
We Found, a young woman uncovers a murder. In Counterfeits,
stolen paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico mountain town.
Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell
should try Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the
kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.”
5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog
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