Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge Side Trip — Oregon’s Wild Weather and Wonders

As we were coming out of Crater Lake National Park, we saw a sign for “Natural Bridge” and decided to make a quick side trip. From the parking lot, we couldn’t see anything obvious—no signs, no water, just forest. But I noticed a paved path leading back into the trees, and I could hear what sounded like a babbling brook. I decided to check it out.

Peg sat this one out. More on that in a bit.

I followed the path, and right away I noticed something strange—there were old campfires scattered everywhere. No tents, no signs of people, just rings of ash and stones from fires that had been put out. I snapped a few pictures; it was a little eerie.

As I kept walking, I came to a footbridge crossing over what turned out to be a raging torrent of water. The current was strong, like rapids, and it was gushing with force—so powerful and beautiful. I followed the trail around the bend and saw something incredible: a cave carved out by the water itself. The stream flowed into this natural tunnel, completely disappearing underground, and then reemerged just downstream to continue on its path. It was mesmerizing—nature’s own water slide.

Eventually, I made it to the Natural Bridge. What makes it so special is that the river actually flows under it.

Now, about Peg—she stayed back because her feet were so swollen from missing a couple doses of her medication. She couldn’t even bend her toes. Poor thing her feet were fluffy that day. Thankfully, she’s caught up now and doing just fine.

Oregon’s weather, though—that’s been something else. One day we were up in the mountains with snow all around—people were skiing, and kids were having snowball fights—and it was 87 degrees! Then the very next day, in another part of Oregon, it was a blazing 102.

And speaking of dramatic moments, back up at Crater Lake, we both stopped at the restroom—really the only one we’d seen for a while. While I was inside, I heard this thunderous sound. At first, I thought it was a helicopter, but when I came out, a woman nearby said, “You just missed it!” I asked, “Missed what?” and she told me a boulder had broken loose from one of the hills nearby and came crashing down. She pointed across the road and said, “It rolled right between those two hikers and stopped just before it reached the pavement.”

It could have been a tragedy, but luckily, everyone was okay. Just another reminder of how powerful and unpredictable nature can be.