NABSQNO 11S-634594-3999684 MAP
The hike to this arch is one of the most fascinating you will find anywhere. Route information can be obtained from the Bureau of Land Management, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, HCR 33, Box 5500, Las Vegas, NV 89124, (702) 363-1921, or from the book The Hiker's Guide to Nevada by Bruce Grubbs. 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! This is a very rewarding hike! Photo by David Brandt-Erichsen.