ALL HIKERS

DAY HIKE TO FOUR SISTERS NATURAL BRIDGES
MARCH 15, 2015

     I have done a lot of hiking at the Grand Canyon and from Hermits Rest, but had never heard of the Four Sisters Natural Bridges until recently.  This is a feature I just have to see.  I take the shuttle bus out to Hermits Rest, walk the dirt road to the trailhead, and get ready to head down.  The two trip reports I read indicated that both of those hikers followed the trail all the way to the drainage that intersects the trail and then followed the drainage east to the Bridges.  That seems very inefficient to me, so I only go down about two turns of the trail and then exit to the east.

Hermit trailhead sign
3-15-2015 @ 2:58
Hermit Trail
3-15-2015 @ 2:59
Hermit Trail
3-15-2015 @ 2:59

     I am only about thirty feet above an east-west drainage, but am cliffed out, so I just proceed to the east.  In a minute or two, I come to a point where a drainage from the north meets the east-west drainage.  I make my way down to the creek bed at this intersection and proceed east.  Right away I find an established trail on the south side of the east-west drainage and follow it to the east.

Intersection of two drainages
3-15-2015 @ 3:09
Trail by the east-west drainage
3-15-2015 @ 3:11

     In another few minutes, the Four Sisters Natural Bridges stone arches come into view.  I spend the next few minutes taking pictures and walking underneath the arches.  They are magnificent.

Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:16
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:16
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:17
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:17
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:21
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:17

     Then it's time to climb on top, take a few more pictures, and explore some.  I walk from end to end on one of the larger arches.  I can't believe how neat these are.

Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:18
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:18
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:18
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:19
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:20
Four Sisters Natural Bridges
3-15-2015 @ 3:20

     I then walk back to the drainage intersection, climb on top, and make my way to the Hermit Trail.

Hermit Trail
3-15-2015 @ 3:34
Hermit Trail
3-15-2015 @ 3:35

     A few more minutes and I'm back at the Hermit trailhead sign.

   
  Hermit trailhead sign
3-15-2015 @ 3:39
 

     This is a wonderful short day hike and I highly recommend it.  My total time from start to finish was about forty minutes and the distance is less than a half-mile each way from the trailhead sign to the arches.  The GPS coordinates for the arches are:

N 36° 03.420'  
W 112° 12.565'

but your GPS is totally unnecessary.  Simply walk down the Hermit Trail a hundred yards or so, exit the trail to the left at the point where the trail turns to the right, and proceed east.  Make your way down to the east-west drainage and follow it east to the arches.

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