Hiking Natural Bridge, Wisconsin

You don't have to go to Utah to see a massive natural bridge!

This is a brief but wondrous hike just outside of the Devils' Lake/Baraboo area that's often overlooked. If you happen to be in Devils Lake for watersports, beachcombing or the excellent climbing and hiking, do not miss this spot just 20 minutes southwest. 

I've always been a fan of natural bridges and natural arches which comes with my affinity for the Southwestern US states. I wasn't expecting to find a natural bridge in this part of the country. As I was driving around the Wisconsin Driftless Area, I spotted this on the map and was intrigued. How I had missed it on previous trips was beyond me. 

Here's a hiking map and the area-

Getting to the Natural Bridge isn't necessarily difficult though it does require some familiarity of Wisconsin's lettered (as opposed to numbered) highways. Cell phone reception is spotty in this area, hence I would recommend either downloading the map to your phone or having a paper map in hand. The parking lot is located just north of highway C.

This is really more of a walk than a hike but that doesn't make it any less adventurous. The walk to the bridge can be done in about 15 minutes from the parking lot and involves just a little elevation gain. Make sure you bank right at both intersections. The trails aren't very well marked though it would be difficult to get lost. The bridge itself is both imposing and impressive-

Nice to get a little taste of the Southwest in this part of the country. The real draw of the area is Devil's Lake, of course, but seeing as this is just 15 minutes away from the south entrance, it would be a shame to miss this natural gem.