{{Short description|Private park in Winston County, Alabama, USA}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox park | name = Natural Bridge Park | image = Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) 10.jpg | image_alt = View of the natural arches. | image_caption = Natural arches at the Park. | location = [[Winston County, Alabama]] | nearest_town = Natural Bridge, Alabama | type = | coordinates = {{coord|34|05|35|N|87|36|53|W|}} | owner = Donnie and Naomi Lowman | operator = Donnie and Naomi Lowman | opened = {{Start date|1954}} | closed = | hiking_trails = 2 mile nature path | season = | area = | slogan = | status = open }}
'''Natural Bridge Park''', near the town of [[Natural Bridge, Alabama]], is a privately owned park in [[Winston County, Alabama|Winston County]] that has been open since 1954.<ref name=AB/><ref name=ET/><ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Natural Bridge Park |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Alabama]] |url=https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/natural-bridge-park/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |last=Greer |first=Caroline |date=2024-05-13 |orig-date=Originally published 2020-09-16 |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250917122550/https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/web/20250917122550/https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/natural-bridge-park/ |archive-date=2025-09-17}}</ref> The current owners are Donnie and Naomi Lowman.<ref name="northwest">{{Cite news |date=2023-08-23 |title=Natural Bridge Park Saved |url=https://www.mynwapaper.com/index.php/node/12762 |access-date=2024-01-06 |work=Northwest Alabamian}}</ref>
The Park's primary attraction is a [[natural arch|natural-arch]] rock formation that is {{convert|60|ft|m}} high, {{convert|148|ft|m}} long, and composed of [[sandstone]] and [[iron ore]].<ref name="AB"> Alisa Beckwith, "Natural Bridge History", "Small-Town Pride in Natural Bridge", from ''[[The Tuscaloosa News]]'', [[Tuscaloosa, AL]], February 10, 2002, webpage: [https://web.archive.org/web/20090829012801/http://geocities.com/naturalbridge35577/NaturalBridge.htm geocities-NatBridge].</ref> <ref name="ET">Ettractions.com, "Natural Bridge of Alabama", 2008.</ref><ref name="OH"> "Natural Bridge, Alabama (Cities)", 2008, Online Highways, webpage: [http://www.ohwy.com/al/n/naturalb.htm OHwy-naturalb]. </ref> The bridge is purported to be the longest natural arch east of the [[Rocky Mountains]] in [[North America]]. A two-mile nature trail guides visitors beneath the arch and past nearby rock formations.<ref name=NA>{{Cite web |title=Natural Bridge Park |url=https://www.northalabama.org/listing/natural-bridge-park/269/ |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association |language=en-us}}</ref> Walking across the bridge itself is not permitted, due to safety concerns.
The Park includes picnic accommodations, an [[artesian well]] that supplies drinking fountains, a gift shop featuring hand-crafted items, 27 varieties of [[fern]], and a stand of eastern [[Tsuga|hemlock]] (''Tsuga canadensis'')—a species that dates back to the Pleistocene epoch (approximately 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago).<ref name="encyclopedia" />
Downhill from the arch is an [[outcropping]] of rock resembling a Native American head in [[wikt:profile|right profile]], similar to that of an old U.S. [[Indian Head nickel|"Indian head" nickel]]. The stone formation is just over {{convert|15|ft|m}} high.
<gallery mode=packed nolines> Indian Head Buffalo Obverse.jpg|Indian head nickel. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) rock formation.jpg|Stone formation. </gallery>
As of 2024, the park is open from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm seven days a week and admission is $10.00 for adults.<ref name="northwest" />
==History== This natural-arch formation dates back about 200 million years.<ref name=AB/> It was formed by the New River eroding weaker sandstone away from the stronger stone which constitutes the bridge spans.<ref name="encyclopedia" /><ref name=ET/><ref name="EB"> "Britannica Online Service :: Search", Britannica Online, 2009, webpage: [http://www.britannica.co.kr/boltitles/n/n6.html EB-n6]{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. </ref>
[[Muscogee|Muscogee Creek Indian]]s lived in this area, and they probably used the bridge-cave enclosure for shelter.<ref name=ET/>
The Park itself was opened to the public by the Legg family in 1954.<ref name=ET/> In recent years, it was owned and operated by Jim and Barbara Denton. In August 2023, Donnie and Naomi Lowman purchased it and are now running it (as of January 2024).<ref name="northwest" />
==Gallery== <gallery mode=packed nolines> Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) sign.jpg|Entrance sign. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) Gift Shop and Entrance.jpg|Entrance and gift shop. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama), under the bridge.jpg|View from under the arch, looking upward. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) 09.jpg|Under the bridge. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama), view from under the bridge.jpg|Looking outward, wintertime. Natural Bridge Park (Alabama), nature walk.jpg|Rock formation visible from the nature trail. Eroded rock at Natural Bridge Park (Alabama).jpg|Eroded rock Eroded rock, Natural Bridge Park (Alabama).jpg|Eroded rock Natural Bridge Park (Alabama) graffiti.jpg|19th-century graffiti </gallery>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{cite web | last = | first = | title = Natural Bridge in Alabama | url = http://lampton.home.mindspring.com/naturalbridge.htm | access-date = | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180613170137/http://lampton.home.mindspring.com/naturalbridge.htm | archive-date = June 13, 2018}} *{{Cite web |last=Gann |first=Pamela |date=2022-09-23 |title=Everything you need to know when visiting Natural Bridge Park, Alabama |url=https://www.pamgann.com/natural-bridge-park/ |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=Pam Gann |language=en-US}}
{{coord|34|05|35|N|87|36|53|W|type:landmark_region:US-AL|display=title}}
[[Category:Natural arches of Alabama]] [[Category:Protected areas of Winston County, Alabama]] [[Category:Parks in Alabama]] [[Category:Landforms of Winston County, Alabama]]