agate bridge

This is a short walk from the parking lot. This petrified log would have fallen apart long ago if not shored up by us humans. We finally did something right!

There are surprisingly few whole trees left in the petrified forest.....they were mined by previous generations. This one survived as an early tourist attraction, because it acted as a bridge that people could walk across. To preserve it the early tourist authorities strengthened it with supports. The park authorities would not do such a thing these days, but this remains as part of the history of tourism in the park. You can no longer walk over it, but it has a charm and is a reminder of how we have changed the ways we interact with the landscape.

I had never been to this before and to see these rock formations was just awe inspiring. To see an agate of this size and still intact was wonderful.

Had a family friend not told me about the bridge, we would have missed it. I'm so glad we had been told to stop here if we had time.. Not what I expected, but better. The restroom at this stop was out of order, but I'm hopeful that it has been repaired by now.

This 'bridge' is a petrified tree the spans a gap in the rocks. It rests on a concrete support that is bigger than the tree. Spend the 5 minutes enjoying other parts of the park.

The petrified tree across the ravine itself is an amazing thing but the whole thing is dominated by an equal size stretch of concrete underneath it to prevent it from collapsing.I'm sure that with modern building technology and materials, this could be improved upon. This would make it a worthwhile visit.As it is, it's a bit of an eyesore really.If you're passing, have a look but don't go out of your way too much.

Very happy that measures have been taken to preserve this natural, petrified log bridge. The pictures of what the bridge looked like in the past were great as well

It is just one long log across a gully, they have it supported so it stays together there is also some nice views. This is a quick stop with a toilet.

Yes, it's a big petrified tree, but previous generations built an ugly support under the tree to prevent it from cracking and crumbling away. Certainly not awe-inspiring anymore. Oh, and you're not supposed to walk on the bridge according to the posted signs.

Because there were not many people around, the kids were able to walk around and explore a little. The bridge is cool but it really doesn't take a long time to see this site. Worth a quick stop on the loop.

One can not imagine what preceded this tree ending up in this position creating an almost perfect bridge ove rwhat must have been a torrent of water.

Please don't go to Petrified Forest with high expectations else you will be dissapointed. There isn't much there to see that you cannot see from the highway driving around AZ. It is all the same ... same $#%@ different smell. Don't go there on a hot day because there is a fair amount of hiking i.e. if you really want to make sure the day is not totally wasted. Being a NPS site, it is as good as it can be i.e. I love NPS and they do a good job. However, you can do only so much with nothing.

Agate Bridge is a large petrified tree which is laying across a wash, forming a natural "bridge." Unfortunately, decades ago, preservationists were concerned about the structural integrity of the petrified log and reinforced it with concrete. Unfortunately, the concrete support beam dominates the view of the log and entirely ruins the view and the "natural" part of the "natural bridge."

Really emphasizes how our mindset on natural formations has changed. In the 1920s we thought we should do everything to maintain a site, even if it meant destroying the natural beauty of it.

maybe because it is surrounded by so many other wonders, it is hard to appreciate this on its own. It is now surrounded by cement, but is noteworthy for a stop.