This weekend my best friend got some time off of work and came to see me. I, of course, had to pull out all the stops to show off this beautiful town I’ve been living in for just a little under a year now! Yellowstone National Park is still closed from our gate due to massive amounts of snow but there are plenty of pretty places to hike in nearer to town.
Hayden’s Arch Bridge is one of those places that if you blink, you just might miss it. It is the only arch bridge remaining in Wyoming, so I’m told, and it is mostly closed to vehicle traffic now. This means that you get the beautiful walk out in nature, away from the sounds of the road and you don’t have to trip over rocks and tree roots to do it. One of my local friends who joined us even brought her nephew who rode in his stroller the whole time!
If you’re a rock climber, this just might be the hidden nook you’ve been looking for! All along the cliff face, there are various climbing routes already laid out (I’m not a climber so forgive me if my terminology is off). There were also several fly fishermen enjoying the sunny afternoon most of them leaving the path to walk the Shoshone River bank catching fish. Bikers, runners, and hikers all share this road as well as the few vehicles of those who work at Buffalo Bill Dam.
This time of year, the hike isn’t crowded but it may get busier as tourists begin to arrive for the summer season. The weather was absolutely stunning, we kept wondering at how lucky we were that it wasn’t raining, snowing, or windy! We all carried plenty of water and took our time, stopping for pictures all along the way. It was early spring in the shade but summer in the sun. My local friend warned us that in the true heat of summer, this hike can get very hot. There really isn’t a lot of shelter to duck out of the sun once you get going. Walking at this lazy pace we managed to make the round trip in 2.5 hours.
If you’re up for something a bit longer. There is a breakaway path that takes you 11 miles from the bridge to Newton Lakes. I’m not exactly sure where this is but I plan to go back and try the longer hike sometime soon so I’ll keep you posted!
Thank you, fellow adventurers! You can follow the lilmissbearpaw blog page on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @lilmissbearpaw for sneak peeks into upcoming posts and my adventures. This will also be a great place to share your own adventures!