World’s Most Spectacular Natural Arches and Bridges

Here’s a compilation of some of the most beautiful natural arches and bridges from around the world.

Pont d’Arc: France

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The beautiful Pont d’Arc is a great natural bridge located in the south of France. The bridge has a width of 60

meters and a height of 45 meters and was carved out by the Ardeche River. It is a very popular canoeing and

kayaking area and is heavily visited by tourists. Pont is French for bridge.

Natural Bridge: Utah, USA

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Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah in the United States contained some of the world’s most spectacular rock

formations including the “The Natural Bridge”.

Rainbow Bridge: Utah, USA

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Spanning 275 feet, the Rainbow Bridge is the largest natural bridge in the world. It was formed by the action of

Bridge Creek as it flowed down from the Navajo Mountain gradually; an amazing sandstone arch was formed.

Pravicka Brana: Switzaerland

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This splendid rock formation is located in Bohemian Switzerland. This area is also known as Czech Switzerland, a

picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.

Natural Bridge: Kentucky, USA

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Natural Bridge is the centerpiece of Natural Bridge State Park, a Kentucky state park located along the Middle

Fork of the Red River, adjacent to the Red River Gorge Geologic Area and surrounded by the Daniel Boone

National Forest. The Natural Bridge which is natural sandstone arch spans 78 ft or 24 meters and is 65 ft or 20 m

high. The natural process of weathering formed the arch over millions of years.

Azure Window Rock Formation: Malta

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Azure Window is a breathtaking rock formation located in Malta. It’s a spectacular natural landmark on the Maltese

archipelago. It features a table-like rock over the sea, and is particularly spectacular during the winter, when

waves crash high inside the arch.

Turret Arch: Utah, USA

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Another astonishing natural arch formation located at Arches National Park is the Turret Arch. This photo is taken

during morning sunrise.

El Arco: Mexico

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El Arco is San Lucas landmark. The Arch at Land’s End in Playa del Amor – Lover’s Beach is a distinctive rock

formation which is itself the extreme southern end of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

Sklyline Arch: Utah, USA

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Arches National Park in the US is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches one of which is the

Skyline Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

Arch of Akakus: Libya

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This unique natural arch is located in the Akakus Plateau of Libya. This area presents an arid scene of dark,

barren rocky mountains interspersed with gravel plains and terracotta-colored, sandy wadis. Massive,

wind-carved dunes and extraordinary rock formations like the natural arches of Akakus give the area a majestic

sense of grandeur.

Metate Caprock Arch: Utah, USA

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The Metate Caprock Arch is located at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument I Utah in the United States.

The Wonderful Bridges: Bulgaria

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The Wonderful Bridges are truly wonderful rock formations in Bulgaria. The “bridges” were formed by the erosive

activity of the once high-water river. It transformed the marble clefts into a deep water cave, the ceiling of which

whittled up through time and collapsed, allegedly during an earthquake. Geologists suppose that the water

carried the debris away.

Double Arch: Utah, USA

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The famous and impressive Double Arch is a close-set pair of natural arches. The arches are reached by a short

walk of about 200 meters from the area parking lot. There are no guardrails or fences to prevent visitors from

exploring directly beneath and through the arches. Double Arch was formed by water erosion from above rather

than more typical erosion from the side.

Cerro de Arcos: Ecuador

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The beautiful and scenic rock formation called Hill of Arches or the Cerro de Arcos is a windswept rock formation

located in Ecuador at an altitude of 3700 meters or 12140ft. The rock formation features towers, columns and

several of the eponymous arches formed by wind and weather erosion. The formation covers an area of about

300 m by 300 m.

Landscape Arch: Utah, USA

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The extraordinarily beautiful Landscape Arch is the world’s longest natural arch. The arch is among many in the

area known as Devil’s Garden. The arch has a span of 290.1 ± 0.8 feet or 88.4 meters.

Durdle Door: England, UK

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This captivating rock formation is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset,

England. The arch has formed on a concordant coastline where bands of rock run parallel to the shoreline.

Here the rock strata are nearly vertical, and the bands of rock are quite narrow.

Grosvenor Arch: Utah, USA

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The unique Grosvenor Arch is a sandstone double arch located in southern Utah and is named in honor of Gilbert

Hovey Grosvenor (1875-1966), a president of the National Geographic Society, publishers of the National

Geographic Magazines.

Delicate Arch: Utah, USA

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The amazing and world-famous Delicate Arch is a freestanding natural arch located in Utah. It is the most widely-

recognized landmark in Arches National Park and stands at 52 feet or 16 meters tall.

Natural Bridge: Wisconsin, USA

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The beautiful arch and rock shelter have been weathered out of one such outcropping. The top of the arch is 35

feet above the ground. The arch opening is 25 feet wide and 15 feet high. The rock shelter is 60 feet wide and 30

feet deep. The Natural Bridge is located in Natural Bridge State Park in Wisconsin.

Natural Bridge: California, USA

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Natural Bridge is a rock formation located in Natural Bridges State Beach, a protected area in Santa Cruz,

California. The area is also well known as a hotspot to see monarch butterfly migrations.

Sewanee Natural Bridge: Tennessee, USA

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The captivating Sewanee Natural Bridge is located in Tennessee. It is a 25 feet or 8 meters high natural

sandstone arch with a span of 50 feet or 15 meters. It is essentially a giant sinkhole partially eroded to form

a large stone bridge.

Cedar Tree Arch: Colorado, USA

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The magnificent Cedar Tree Arch has a span of 76 feet and an opening height of 43 feet. This beautiful natural

arch is also known as Rainbow Arch.

East Rim Arch: Colorado, USA

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East Rim Arch which is also known as Akiti Arch or Centennial Arch is located in Rattlesnake Canyon. This

gorgeous rock formation has a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 120 feet. Rattlesnake Canyon contains

7 more natural arches aside from the East Rim Arch.

Bridge Arch: Colorado, USA

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Bridge Arch is one of the 8 natural arches located in Rattlesnake Canyon. This astonishing rock formation has

a span of 40 feet and an opening height of 30 feet. It is also known as Hole-in-the-Bridge Arch.

Natural Bridge: Virginia, USA

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The Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia is a geological formation in which Cedar Creek has carved

out a gorge in the mountainous limestone terrain, forming an arch 215 ft or 66 meters high with a span of 90 ft

or 27 meters. It consists of horizontal limestone strata, and is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through

which the creek once flowed. It is crossed by a public road, S.S. Highway 11.

Sipapu Natural Bridge: Utah, USA

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Sipapu Natural Bridge is located in Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah. Sipapu means “the place of

emergence” in Hopi legends. Sipapu is the largest of the three bridges in the monument with a height of 220 feet

or 67 meters, span of 268 feet or 82 meters, width of 31 feet or 9.5 meters and thickness of 53 feet or 16 meters.

Kachina Bridge: Utah, USA

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Kachina Bridge is one of three natural bridges in Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah. It is the “middle

bridge” in both location and size. It has a height of 210 feet or 64 meters, span of 204 feet or 62 meters, width

of 44 feet or 13 meters and thickness of 93 feet or 28 meters. In June of 1992, about 4,000 tons of sandstone

collapsed from the inside of the Kachina bridge opening.

Owachomo Bridge: Utah, USA

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Another spectacular geological formation located in Natural Bridges Monument is the Owachomo Bridge which

means “rock mound” in Hopi and is named after the rock formation on top of the east end of the bridge. It is the

most precariously narrow of the bridges, with a height of 106 feet or 32 meters, span of 180 feet or 55 meters,

width of 27 feet or8 meters and thickness of only 9 feet or 3 meters.

Hope you had a wonderful time reading this. Thanks!

See also

World’s Most Spectacular Balanced Rock Formations

World’s Most Impressive Rock Formations

For more amazing geological formations see

World’s Most Impressive Ice Formations

Amazing Animal-shaped Rock Formations

Unusual Rock Formations That Resemble Humans

World’s Most Impressive Ice Formations

Bizarre Rock Formations From Around the World

World’s Most Impressive Karst Formations