Colorado Trails

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge

4.7/5 (24 reviews)

Buena Vista, Colorado (Chaffee County)

Last Updated: 05/08/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude

Forest

Iconic

Overland

Rock

Snow Wheeling

The Natural Bridge Loop is a scenic trail with a hiking option located just northeast of Buena Vista. The trail snakes back and forth over small ridges and through steep gullies before reaching the Natural Bridge rock formation. While an impressive photo opportunity from the road, the optional .75 mile hike to the bridge allows for an up close look and an amazing view of the Arkansas River Valley below. The return trip is equally as impressive with panoramic views of the 14,000' Collegiate Peaks as the backdrop. Bring your hiking gear and some water if you plan to hike to the bridge as it's a steep non-maintained trail up the mountainside.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

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Marcus Trusty

Official Crew

Trail Navigation

This trail is part of the Fourmile Travel Management Area northeast of Buena Vista. The Natural Bridge route follows FS 373 and part of FS 311 making a large loop. The road surface is mostly sand and/or smooth dirt as the trail climbs up and out of the valley. There are some steep gullies to navigate before the trail drops in elevation near the Natural Bridge hiking trail. The route then circles back toward Buena Vista giving a panoramic view of the Collegiate Peaks for the return trip.

1. Trailhead (0 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 1: Trailhead

The trailhead is immediately after you pass though a fence and over a cattle guard where FS 376 goes straight and FS 311 splits off to the left. Take FS 311 to the left.

2. FS 373 (0.5 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 2: FS 373

Take a left hand turn at this intersection onto FS 373. FS 311 goes to the right, you will return on this road to conclude the loop. There is a nice photo op here of Mount Yale, 14,199'.

3. FS 373 to Right (1.02 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 3: FS 373 to Right

Drop into a sandy wash and turn right to follow FS 373. Stay on the designated trail as this has been an area with resource damage in the past.

4. FS 373 to Right (3.38 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 4: FS 373 to Right

Turn right and head downhill to follow FS 373 at this intersection. A left turn will take you to the Davis Meadow mountain bike trail.

5. Little Fourmile Creek (3.47 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 5: Little Fourmile Creek

Cross through Little Fourmile Creek and make a sweeping right hand turn as you come up the hill.

6. Natural Bridge (4.3 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 6: Natural Bridge

The small turn-out marks the the trailhead for the Natural Bridge Hiking trail. The optional hike is a .75 mile (one way) trek on a non-maintained trail with a substantial elevation gain to the rock formation.

7. FS 311 to Right (4.84 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 7: FS 311 to Right

Turn right onto FS 311 heading back toward Buena Vista at this intersection. A left hand turn here will take you to the Sevenmile Creek Trail.

8. Continue Straight (5.78 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 8: Continue Straight

Continue straight on FS 311. FS 1414 takes off to the left, this is not a full-size motorized vehicle trail.

9. End (6.79 mi)

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge - Waypoint 9: End

The trail ends when you get back to Waypoint 2. You can re-trace your route back to the trailhead and continue on the Lenhardy Cutoff Trail or you can turn right here and head back to Waypoint 3, turn left and take FS 376A back to the Fourmile Creek Trail.

Trail Reviews

4.7/5 (24)

Josh Spring

13350

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 02/11/2023

Not much snow recently means a pretty dry trail. Mainly snowy/icy around waypoints 4/5 where it's also on an incline. Beautiful day!

Dennis Witte

100

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 02/05/2023

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Trail was mostly dry with occasional snow patches in shady areas. Back by the arch are several somewhat steep hills. One is snow covered, so we used 4WD and kept moving. Both creek crossings were easy with very little moisture.

Rich Brunnworth

4200

Open

Rated 4/5

Visited: 06/17/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Rating a 4 because.... we only used waypoints 1-3 as a connector route. What we did do was fun. At WP 3 we stopped and made the decision to head out and leave the rest of the loop for another day. We will be back.

Jim French

7100

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 06/02/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This is a really fun area. Great trails with enough obstacles to keep it interesting. Lots of dirt bikes, ate's, etc., but they were all responsible drivers. Really great camping spots too. This would be a great area to take someone that is just getting started with technical trails.

Marcus Trusty

Official Crew

30350

Open

Rated 5/5

Visited: 05/08/2022

Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Totally dry throughout the loop!

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge

Trail Information

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Trail Difficulty and Assessment

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6 votes

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Trail Navigation

1. Trailhead (0 mi)

2. FS 373 (0.5 mi)

3. FS 373 to Right (1.02 mi)

4. FS 373 to Right (3.38 mi)

5. Little Fourmile Creek (3.47 mi)

6. Natural Bridge (4.3 mi)

7. FS 311 to Right (4.84 mi)

8. Continue Straight (5.78 mi)

9. End (6.79 mi)

Trail Reviews

From the Community

Marcus Trusty

Fourmile Area: Natural Bridge

Trail Information

Highlights

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Recommended Vehicle:

Concerns:

Summary:

Community Consensus

1 votes

6 votes

0 votes

Mandatory

Optional

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Trail Navigation

1. Trailhead (0 mi)

2. FS 373 (0.5 mi)

3. FS 373 to Right (1.02 mi)

4. FS 373 to Right (3.38 mi)

5. Little Fourmile Creek (3.47 mi)

6. Natural Bridge (4.3 mi)

7. FS 311 to Right (4.84 mi)

8. Continue Straight (5.78 mi)

9. End (6.79 mi)

Trail Reviews

From the Community

Marcus Trusty

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