Agate Bridge in Petrified Forest National Park

Agate Bridge

Spanning a gully like a bridge, Agate Bridge is in fact a large petrified log.

Plan Around Agate Bridge

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Agate Bridge Details

Spanning a gully like a bridge, Agate Bridge is in fact a large petrified log. When numerous trees washed into this floodplain 225 million years ago, buried by silt, mud and volcanic ash, the sediment cut off the oxygen supply to the trees and slowed their decay. Silica from the groundwater seeped into the logs and eventually replaced the original wood tissue with the quartz we see today in specimens such as Agate Bridge. Centuries of floodwaters created the arroyo beneath this 110-foot log, turning it into a natural bridge. In 1917, a concrete span was constructed under the bridge to support it. Agate Bridge is just a short walk from a parking area.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

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Region

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Nearby Parks Around Agate Bridge

Compare nearby parks around Agate Bridge when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.

12.0 mi away

Petrified Forest

National Park · AZ

153.2 mi away

Grand Canyon

National Park · AZ

185.7 mi away

Mesa Verde

National Park · CO

195.1 mi away

Saguaro

National Park · AZ

231.4 mi away

Bryce Canyon

National Park · UT

239.2 mi away

Zion

National Park · UT

Nearby Points of Interest Around Agate Bridge

Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Agate Bridge while the map context is still fresh.

0.8 mi away

Jasper Forest

In the southern portion of the park, about 10 miles north of the south entrance station and along the park's main road, is Jasper Forest.

0.8 mi away

Jasper Forest Hike

The Jasper Forest Hike offers an easy 2.5-mile round trip hike along a 1930's road into Jasper Forest, a well-preserved garden of petrified wood.

1.0 mi away

Dry Wash

Dry Wash connects to the Puerco River west of the ghost town of Adamana and runs south towards Agate Bridge and Jasper Forest.

1.1 mi away

First Forest Point Hike

This 2.1-mile round-trip hike takes visitors from the Jasper Forest overlook parking lot south along the bluffs.

2.0 mi away

Crystal Forest

In the southern unit of the park, about 5 miles from the south entrance, is the Crystal Forest.