What clients say about Natural Bridge Park in Natural Bridge (AL)
I spent several hours at the park today and it was one of the most beautiful and peaceful trail hikes I have ever taken. The bridge is great and a very interesting geologic formation, but the trail after the bridge is what makes the park worth visiting! It is absolutely beautiful and I went on a Friday so I was the only one in the park at one point and it was so peaceful!
Afterwards I had the opportunity to talk to the owners and discovered that they are trying to do even more things to make the park even better. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend checking this park out!
I found this place by complete surprise as a roadside attraction while RVing. We were traveling across country with our dogs toward the Natchez Trace. I understand dogs are not allowed into the park, but I sought the owner out while she was planting flowers and kindly asked her if I stayed all the way in the back of the parking lot could I let my dogs pee on a least before putting them back in the RV so we could enjoy the place while they stayed in the RV. She emphatically stated no, they are not allowed anywhere including in a car in the parking lot. We quickly left very disappointed with no intent to return. I get it if I was asking to let them in the park, but I was only asking to allow them to quickly pee. One dog has diabetes insefilitus, so she has to pee alot. I even told that to the owner and she could care less. Went back to the highway and let them pee there and didn't return to the park
Decided to get the family out of the house and went to Bankhead Forrest for a quiet drive. Realized we were 10mins from this place and thought why not.
The area is beautiful.
Privately owned and operated.
Nice souvenir shop and clean restrooms.
The walk to the Natural Bridge and Indian face rock are a short easy walk from the front.
There is an additional 1 mile loop trail that takes you back through the woods to see other natural formations/caves etc.
I will say that some of the trail is pretty easy going and manageable. There are handrails at some of the places where the going gets a little rough.
The scenery was amazing the walk was great.
The cons and what to know.
A lot of the extended trail is not what some would call "maintained" it is a path through the wood with markers to show you where to go. There were some areas where we had to be very careful with big steps and roots to climb down.
I'm used to this, I grew up in the woods but some may have problems with the loop trail.
A lot of the handrails in areas could use some loving. They have either fell from rusting away or from eroding away at the support itself.
I liked the 1 mile loop but would be nice if they had a choice to go up through the steep winding up and down trail and just a nice leisurely walking trail where you could still see all that is offered and all the caves but not have to clamber up and down some of the steep natural steps and roots (maybe they did and I just missed it).
I guess you could just walk the Exit side of the loop to go to the back but cant really see a lot of the natural formations in rock.
Wear a good walking shoe/not slick bottom or open toes.
STILL was a great outing with the family.
Definitely worth the time and entry fee.
Places like this need to be protected and preserved for future generations.
Family operated and worth the price of admission. The 1 mile hiking trail went under the natural arch and was novice level. Didnt get to hike the entire mile but the forest was really peaceful for the portion we walked.
What a great place to visit. Amazing rock formations. This is a privately owned property and they have done a great job of renovations. Starting at the gift shop to sign a waiver and pay a reasonable fee you go on a self guided tour. Path was easy to find. Handrails for some of the steeper paths. I have bad knees, so some of the way was challenging, but I made it without falling down. Took about a hour to look at everything. Overall a great day trip to see some wonderful sights. I would go again to show others.
Pretty amazing place. We just happened to see it on Google maps and decided to check it out. Well worth the drive and admission.
Someone commented on the price of admission and I dont get it. $10 per adult? Its a privately owned and maintained treasure! Well worth the price of admission!! Highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area!
An absolute hidden GEM!!!!!
What an absolutely beautiful beautiful stop, the new owners have truly put their heart and soul into upkeeping and regenerating a beautiful park!
What an experience! Put on your hiking shoes! This place was the most amazing place I've been. From huge boulders, streams, and slippery trails you'll be entertained and in awe of God's wonderful creation. There's lots of climbing and walking. Clefts of rocks to step into for photo op and the most gorgeous natural landscape I've seen in my life. So hard to believe this is family owned! Well done! Don't forget to try their grape slushie on the way out! Delicious! $10 per person to get in. Be aware of the slippery rocks and you do sign a waiver before you enter. Trust me, it's a must see and pictures or video do not do this place justice.
It is a very short walk to Indian Rock and the natural bridge. However, they charge a fee and they do not allow dogs on the property. Until they go back to allowing dogs, I just can't give them a good review. I would have loved to set my pup on the little rock bench and got his picture. I would have also loved to check out the one mile loop with my pup.
The place is absurdly expensive but it's privately owned and the owners are doing their best to make the place better. Loved the park and the hike and am super happy to support a privately owned park like this with owners who are trying to do the right thing. Definitely a must see if you're in the Bankhead area.
Nice park. $10 each to enter. It's about 1 1/2 miles around the caves. It also has some waterfalls. We had a good time and it gave us a chance to stretch our legs. I would recommend it.
The path to the bridge is very short and accessible to walkers of most ability. There is also a 1 mile shaded hike around the area with stunning erosion sights that is easy but not accessible.
Quick but beautiful stop. The natural bridge is one of the most impressive we’ve ever seen.
Family owned with lots of history.
I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area
Very pretty great place for an easy hike over some rock and tree roots it’s a great place for a picnic the large rocks are awesome 10 dollars for adults. The staff was very friendly
Wow what a GREAT experience! I had 4 kids with me, so we just stayed on the lower trail. It was beautiful, clean, and very quiet!
We did have a stroller which was not the most ideal situation, lots of roots and bumps/bridges on the path, but still had a blast. We spent quite a bit at the gift shop, but well worth what we got!
There is a fee to enter/picnic/hike which is understandable for them to stay open! Staff was very friendly and informative. Bathrooms were so clean and spacious!
We were touring the countryside taking back roads whenever possible when we came across this natural attraction. We had not heard of this place, so naturally, we decided to give it a look.
This is a very impressive natural bridge. I've been to the very famous natural bridge in Virginia, and this one is comparable.
The walk from the gift store is very short. I'm guessing between 100 to 150 yards.
Bring a picnic lunch and take advantage of the picnic tables they have near the bridge. If you just want to see the bridge and leave, plan on spending about 30 minutes here. There is a one mile walking trail in the woods.
The gift shop is full of fun things to look over for purchasing.
Beautiful view and the workers were very nice. It is a perfect outing for any family that enjoys nature. Me and a friend of mine enjoyed seeing it on a good autumn day.
If you are passing along I-22 this is totally worth your time. It exceeded all expectations. Very cool and quite lovely. A very pleasant walk in a unique place. The folks that run the place are quite nice.
Beautiful place with nature trail very relaxing with places to sit. Not a very far walk to the natural bridge. Has a nice spot for a picnic just make sure you bring your own food. There is also a gift shop
It's definitely worth the stop. Beautiful place! The rock formations are really amazing and are within about a football field from the parking lot, so if you have issues walking a great distance, you are in luck because it is a short, easy walk. They have a cool gift shop as well. The people, who I assume were the owners, were so nice. They are doing some renevations and adding some things. I'll be back in the future to see what they do.
Enjoyed the hike. This area is very peaceful. I’ve driven past the Natural Bridge sign for decades and am happy I finally made time to visit! Enjoyed the swirls on the sandstone/iron ore rock and found a very interesting tree to be “hugging” one of the rocks.
It's definitely worth the $10 entrance fee. The take cash or card. It's a very short hike to the natural bridge formation. The trail is clearly marked and goes in a loop to a small waterfall and stream. Some spots are a little slippery and muddy after rainfall.
It’s a little pricey. They have about 2 miles of trails the lady said they’re working on more. For $20 bucks i feel cheated. It probably worth $5 bucks a person just being honest. The gift shop was nice. For people with disabilities this is an easy very very short walk to and is cool.
Had a great time exploring the area with our elementary aged kids.
Some of the handrails had been damaged but otherwise the place was perfect. It was sometimes difficult to tell what was a trail we were meant to go on, but we had a great time.
JUST A B S O L U T E L Y BEAUTIFUL! Such a beautiful and well maintained property. The trails are well maintained and established, they do require sure footing, but are well maintained and have railing almost everywhere you would want some.
The Natural Bridge is Awesome and the texture in the rock is amazing. Don't just do the bridge though, take the extra 20 minutes and do the whole trail, it is only about a mile and has some amazing views, wonderful plant life and is relatively cool being back in a well covered spring valley.
It is 3.50$ per person and this place is privately owned. Get out and support local people, they have done an amazing job with this place.
Absolutely stunning place! We did the trail portion and it definitely added to our experience -- just gorgeous. It is super buggy, so bring spray! It was also good to go on a weekday as it wasn’t busy at all - we walked/hiked the whole trail alone and only saw a few people at the gift shop. The gift shop was really cute! Overall, it was a hidden gem in Alabama!
Very nice! Well worth the stop!
Well worth the 3.50 each.
Nice little gift/souvenir shop.
Clean restrooms.
Very short easy walk to the natural land bridge or you can continue for a nice hike through the woods.
Fairly easy to navigate through the woods although there are a few spots that are a little challenging for disabled or elderly. The trail can get slippery in some areas.
