NABSQNO 11S-634594-3999684 MAP
The hike to this arch is one of the most fascinating you will find anywhere. A detailed route description and map with the route marked can be found online at Adventure Hikes and Canyoneering in the Southwest. Along the hike you will see huge tinajas (potholes) filled with water. In fact, this arch was formed from such a tinaja in which the side was punched out by erosion so it no longer holds water. A little beyond the arch is a very large tinaja - don't fall into it, or you will likely not be able to get out again!
Bridge Mountain is located in Red Rock Canyon just west of Las Vegas. The shortest route comes in from the southwest and entails a rugged 4WD on Potato Ridge Road to Red Rock Summit, a distance of three miles one way. From Red Rock Summit, it is about a five mile round trip hike to the arch. The route from the northeast is much longer and would require a hike of 14 miles round trip and over 3,000 feet of elevation gain that would be avoided by the other route. So even if you hiked the 4WD road, the route from the west would be considerably easier.
The hiking route is a little tricky to follow. Once you obtain a full view of Bridge Mountain ahead, you will see the arch strikingly perched about half way up. The route looks impossible from a distance, but there really is a way up there without ropes (see photo below where the arch opening is indicated by arrow). This is a very rewarding hike! Photo at top of page by David Brandt-Erichsen. Photo below by Guilain Debossens (note the city of Las Vegas in the right background).
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