Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

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Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Rock Gate in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

Rock Gate in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

location Gila County in Arizona (USA)
surface 65 ha
Geographical location 34 ° 19 ′  N , 111 ° 27 ′  W Coordinates: 34 ° 19 ′ 15 "  N , 111 ° 27 ′ 27"  W
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, Arizona
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Setup date 1991
administration Arizona State Parks & Trails
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The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is a state park in Arizona with a natural rock bridge . The bridge arch spans a height of 56 meters, a width of 45 meters and is 122 meters deep. The area belonging to the state park, which was established in 1991, covers 65 hectares and is on average at an altitude of 1371  m .

The rock formation with the arch was discovered by the Scottish prospector David Gowan in 1877 when he was on the run from Apache Indians and hid in one of the many caves under the arch for three days. In 1898 he persuaded his nephew to move the whole family from Scotland and to settle in the adjacent valley. In 1948 they left their huts, which were also included in the National Directory of Historic Places .

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is 13 miles north of Payson on Arizona State Route 87 in Gila County , Arizona. Several hiking trails run through the State Park, the Bridge Trail , which leads to the rock opening, the short Waterfall Trail into the canyon to a grotto with dripping water, hanging green plants and travertine formations, and the River Trail along Pine Creek with viewpoints on the bridge opening together with it Stalactites . In 2007, 94,000 visitors were counted.

Oak forests with Arizona oaks , Gambeleichen , Quercus turbinella , Quercus undulata , Quercus chrysolepis , and Quercus emoryi dominate the State Park, but also alligator junipers and Utah junipers as well as stone pines , gray alders , Celtis reticulata , Garrya wrightii and Garrya wrightii flavescens occur as well as Rhus trilobata and Rhus ovata . Furthermore, Opuntia macrorhiza , Agave parryi , and Nolina microcarpa be found there.

Five bat species, Myotis velifer , Myotis californicus , Myotis lucifugus , Myotis yumanensis , and Euperma maculatum populate the park. Other mammals include puma , lynx, American black bear , coyote , gray fox , deer and cottontail rabbit . The avifauna include turkey vultures , various birds of prey such as falcons, eagles and ospreys as well as owls. But also the cuckoo , eight different species of woodpecker and 4 different wrens and vireos can be observed in the area.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/02/27/20090227parks0227side.html
  2. ↑ http://areas.wildernet.com/pages/statepark.cfm?areaID=AZSPTNB
  3. ↑ http://azstateparks.com/Parks/TONA/index.html
  4. ↑ http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/tonto_natural_bridge/state_park.html
  5. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.paysonroundup.com
  6. ↑ http://azstateparks.com/Parks/TONA/science.html

Web links

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