Pavement Ends: Natural arches and bridges throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois

Utah is famous for its crazy rock formations that can be found at Arches National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument and other parks. But here in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, we have our own collection of natural arches and bridges.

Sedimentary rocks have a tendency to erode into a variety of gravity-defying shapes, and we have a surplus of these layers, including sandstone, limestone, and chert. Given the right circumstances, large holes can erode through these rocks, creating arches, bridges, tunnels and other oddities. The larger natural bridges can be walked across (if you dare), while the smaller natural arches may only be tall enough to crawl through (again, if you dare).

Here is a roundup of the best natural arches located on public land within a reasonable driving distance of Cape Girardeau. Some of these landmarks are well-known and easy to find, while others require serious bushwhacking through snake country. There's a little something for everyone depending on your adventure comfort level.

Bell Smith Springs Natural Bridge

Bell Smith Springs Recreation Area in Pope County, Illinois, features a maze of rock formations, but the centerpiece is the natural bridge. With a span of 120 feet, it is reportedly the longest natural arch in Illinois.

Directions: Take Highway 146 east to Vienna. At the four-way stop, turn left on US 45. Drive north 12 miles and turn right on Ozark Road. Follow Ozark Road for 10 miles (it starts as blacktop but turns to gravel). Turn right on Bell Smith Springs Road and continue until the road ends at the main parking lot. The hiking trail is a bit tricky since it descends a narrow stone staircase and then requires tiptoeing across a creek.

GPS coordinates: 37.517695, -88.654317 (natural bridge); 37.519495, -88.655746 (parking lot and trailhead)

Mantle Rock

According to the website for the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, the longest natural arch east of the Rocky Mountains is located in Western Kentucky. Mantle Rock in Livingston County features a dramatic span of 154 feet. This landmark is only 60 miles away from Cape Girardeau -- as the crow flies. Unfortunately, thanks to the obstacle posed by the Ohio River, reaching Mantle Rock requires driving out of the way through Paducah, raising the total driving distance to 110 miles each way. Still, that's certainly easier than driving all the way to Utah to find anything larger.

Directions: From Paducah, take I-24 east to the exit for US 68 (exit No. 16). Turn left. At the end of US 68, turn left on US 62 West. Then turn right on US 60 East and cross the new bridge over the Tennessee River. Follow US 60 through Smithland to Burna, and turn left on Highway 135. Make a sharp left on Highway 133 and look for the signs for Mantle Rock Preserve on the left.

GPS coordinates: 37.356244, -88.427084 (Mantle Rock); 37.357801, -88.421847 (trailhead)

Pomona Natural Bridge

With a span of 75 feet, Pomona Natural Bridge is not as long as other natural arches, but it is perhaps the most picturesque in Southern Illinois. An easy trail provides direct access above and below the bridge, making this a favorite subject of photographers in all seasons.

Directions: Take Highway 3 north to Ware and turn right on Highway 146. Then turn left on Highway 127 and drive north past Alto Pass. Look for the turnoff for Pomona on the right. Upon reaching Pomona, turn right, and then veer right again, following the signs for the natural bridge. This gravel road climbs a steep hill before ending at the parking area and trailhead.

GPS coordinates: 37.648804, -89.344522 (natural bridge); 37.6490255, -89.3415655 (trailhead)

Cedar Wonders Natural Arch

This arch is small, but it is the closest thing that we have to Utah's famous Delicate Arch. This chunk of freestanding sandstone defies gravity while being just barely tall enough to crawl through. Also nearby are two box canyons that end in waterfalls.

Directions: Take Highway 146 east to Vienna. Just past Vienna, turn left on Highway 147. Go 6.4 miles and turn left on Gilead Church Road. After one mile, veer right on Gum Springs Road. Follow this paved road 1.6 miles to a bridge. Just past the bridge, find the parking area on the left. The River-to-River Trail (marked with a blue "i") passes near the arch, but other trails provide a shorter route.

GPS coordinates: 37.504400, -88.781400 (arch); 37.495290, -88.757090 (trailhead)

Garden of the Gods Natural Arch

Garden of the Gods Recreation Area is probably the top tourist attraction in Southern Illinois, but most visitors miss the natural arch located along the entrance road. Two other formations, nicknamed "Moss-Covered Natural Bridge" and "Knights of the Golden Circle Arch," can also be found in the area but require some skill to navigate.

Directions: Follow Highway 146 east to Golconda. Continue 9.5 miles past Golconda on Highway 146 and turn left on Highway 34. Go 7.5 miles and turn right on Karbers Ridge Road. After 1.4 miles, turn left on Garden of the Gods Road, then turn left on the entrance road at the sharp curve. Look for the natural arch along the bluff line to the right (north). It's opposite a small pullout on the left (south) side of the road.

GPS coordinates: 37.601690, -88.377330 (natural arch); 37.609243, -88.388275 (Moss-Covered Bridge); 37.606609, -88.364358 (Knights Arch, near Forest Road 1621 and Trail 010).

Ferne Clyffe State Park Natural Bridge

The River-to-River Trail crosses the length of Southern Illinois, but it takes a curious out-of-the-way jog inside Ferne Clyffe State Park. That's a good thing, however, since the trail's detour provides access to this medium-sized natural bridge.

Directions: Take Highway 146 east to Interstate 57 past Anna. Take I-57 North and drive 9 miles to Exit 40 for Goreville. Turn right and follow the highway into Goreville. Turn right on Highway 37 and go south 1.7 miles to the entrance for Ferne Clyffe on the right.

GPS coordinates: 37.525867, -88.994472 (natural bridge); 37.532467, -88.984574 (closest parking area)

Groundhog Den

The area surrounding Dutchman Lake north of Vienna, Illinois, is dotted with narrow canyons and crazy rock formations. One of these small canyons -- so small it doesn't have a name -- is only a short walk from a nearby county road. But it's not for the faint of heart, as the best way to reach the bottom of the canyon is by crawling through a natural tunnel nicknamed the "Groundhog Den."

Directions: Take Highway 146 east to Vienna, then turn left on US 45 at the four-way stop. Drive north on US 45 to the edge of town and look for the sign for Dutchman Lake. Turn left, and then make an immediate right on Dutchman Lake Road. Go 3.7 miles and turn right on Bowman Bottoms Road. Drive 2.3 miles and park on the side of the road at a gentle left curve underneath the power lines. Then hike southeast along the power line clearing.

GPS coordinates: 37.509815, -88.877450 (Groundhog Den); 37.510934, -88.877871 (parking spot)

Devil's Bake Oven Natural Arch

It's unclear what Beelzebub would cook in a bake oven, but this peculiar rock formation near Grand Tower does feature a large handle in the form of a natural arch sitting right on the banks of the Mississippi River. If the water level is low enough, it's possible to walk through the arch. The Bake Oven is easy to find: it sits directly under the massive Grand Tower pipeline suspension bridge. The harder part is finding the trail that leads down to the river's edge and the natural arch.

Directions: Take Highway 3 north to Grand Tower. Turn left into town and follow the signs for Devil's Backbone Park. Drive toward the pipeline bridge and park along the road where safe.

GPS coordinates: 37.642590, -89.514617 (natural arch); 37.641384, -89.512057 (parking spot)

Preacher's Eye

This curiously named natural arch stands along a bluff face, keeping a watchful eye on the Mississippi River floodplain at LaRue-Pine Hills Research Natural Area. It sits above Snake Road, a scenic drive that is closed to traffic for the spring and fall snake migrations. The arch is clearly visible from the road, but you have to look straight up to spot it. Continuing south on the Snake Road, another small "bonus" natural arch can be spotted in a rock mass that has separated from the rest of the bluff. This small arch is large enough to crawl through, but I wouldn't recommend that during snake season!

Directions: Take Highway 3 north to Wolf Lake. After going two miles past Wolf Lake, look for the sign announcing "La Rue Ecological Area." Turn right here on Larue Road. Continue on this gravel road across the railroad tracks and to the gate at the beginning of Snake Road. If the road is open, drive 0.6 miles to the natural arch. Otherwise, park near the gate and hike instead.

GPS coordinates: 37.554772, -89.440373 (Preacher's Eye); 37.552699, -89.440061 (bonus arch)

Bluff Lake Natural Arch

This formation is a unique specimen in Southern Illinois: It's composed of chert instead of the usual sandstone or limestone. The rock here has eroded to create a rock shelter buttressed by a natural arch just large enough to walk through. The arch sits above an abandoned forest road that has been reclaimed by nature. It's best visited during dry weather in the winter to avoid dealing with muddy quagmires and overgrowth.

Directions: Take Highway 3 north through McClure and on to the hamlet of Reynoldsville. Turn right on Old Cape Road (blacktop) and drive 3.8 miles. Look for a gravel driveway on the left leading to a parking lot. This spot was marked with a sign announcing "Bluff Lake Parking" but that sign was missing during my last visit. From here, hike across the creek and pick up the old forest road that continues north between the bluffs on the right and the swampland on the left.

GPS coordinates: 37.417570, -89.346290 (arch); 37.387140, -89.347911 (parking area)

Cape LaCroix Bluffs Natural Arch

Located in Missouri along the Scott County line near the SEMO Port, this is the closest natural arch to Cape Girardeau. A trail provides access to this conservation area from a parking lot on Route AB, but it's necessary to leave the trail to reach the arch.

Directions: Take I-55 south to the Airport/Route AB (exit No. 91). Turn left and follow Route AB (Nash Road) east for 3.5 miles. Look for the conservation area parking lot and trailhead on the left. A trail crosses the railroad tracks and climbs to the top of a ridge. From the crest of the ridge, leave the trail on the right and descend a small hollow to find the natural arch.

GPS coordinates: 37.242635, -89.510781 (arch); 37.242702, -89.505609 (parking area)

Pickle Springs Double Window

Pickle Springs Natural Area west of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, is a popular hiking destination; the parking lot often overflows during weekends with nice weather. Of the many natural wonders here, the Double Window is the most impressive -- and yet fragile looking. A pair of narrow columns support a beefy rock ledge, making a mockery of gravity in the process.

Directions: Take I-55 north to the exit for Highway 32 and Ste. Genevieve (exit No. 150). Turn left and follow the highway for 16 miles to Route AA. Turn left, drive 1.6 miles, and then turn left on Dorlac Road. Follow this gravel road for a half mile and look for the parking area on the right.

GPS coordinates: 37.802206, -90.297730 (Double Window); 37.801480, -90.301332 (parking area)