Natural Bridge

The Natural Bridge State Natural Area is just a couple of miles south of Sewanee, Tennessee off Hwy. 56.  The main attraction is the stone archway (natural bridge) with a footpath over the arch. It is neat and worth a visit on its own. There are many photo ops around in addition to the bridge itself.

This is a very easy place to get some quick shots. The small, paved parking area is a couple of steps from the trail to the bridge. And the bridge shown above is 20-30 yards down the trail. So you can park, walk to the bridge area, and get some shots in a matter of a few minutes if you are in a hurry.

As shown in the bottom three photos, there are some great places in addition to the archway. The footpath on top of the arch puts the subject among some nice boulders and midway up the trees in the adjacent wooded area. Each side of the arch provides some great rocky ledges. 

There are a few concerns you should be aware of. One is the presence of wildlife. This is a wild area with sporadic human visitors. So you might walk up on a snake. And the crevices in the rocks are natural hiding places not only for snakes but also for rodents. 

One other caution. The footpath on top of the arch is 5-8 feet wide and should be no problem at all for most folks. But id you have an aversion to heights, you might want to walk across close to someone more sure footed. There is no guard rail and the drop is many feet onto rocks below. So, if you take small children, hold their hand or carry them across. I remember being a little boy and I loved places like this!