There are places along the highway that deserve more than a drive-past. Navajo Bridge is one of them — two steel arch bridges spanning Marble Canyon 467 feet above the Colorado River, a view straight down into one of the most dramatic canyon cuts in the American Southwest, and a piece of Arizona engineering history that changed everything about how the northern part of the state connected to the rest of the world.

I stopped here on October 7, 2020 — the same day as the Cliff Dwellers Stone House and the Navajo Moenave Dinosaur Tracks, on the drive home from a sisters' trip to Zion and southern Utah. I walked the historic bridge out over the canyon and took in the river below.

Two Bridges — One Historic, One Modern

There are actually two Navajo Bridges standing side by side — the 1929 original and a modern replacement completed in 1995. They are nearly identical in appearance — both steel arch bridges spanning Marble Canyon — but serve completely different purposes today.

The Historic Navajo Bridge — completed January 12, 1929 — was the first highway crossing of the Colorado River north of the Grand Canyon. When it opened it was the world's highest steel arch bridge, stretching 834 feet across the canyon and rising 467 feet above the river. For decades it was the only crossing of the Colorado River for approximately 600 miles in either direction. Construction began in June 1927 in remote, rugged country where getting men, materials, and equipment from one rim to the other — a distance of only 800 feet — required using Lees Ferry downstream to transport supplies. The bridge was built with funding from the State of Arizona and the Navajo Tribal Fund, and was named Navajo Bridge at the request of Navajo leaders who contributed financially to its construction.

In 1995 the modern bridge was completed immediately downstream — wider, carrying two lanes of US-89A traffic. The historic bridge was retired from vehicle use and converted to a pedestrian walkway — the better outcome for visitors. Walking the 1929 bridge out over Marble Canyon with the Colorado River visible 467 feet below through the open steel grating is a genuinely memorable experience.

Before the Bridge — Lees Ferry

Before the Navajo Bridge, the only crossing at this location was Lees Ferry — five miles upstream from the bridge site, where the river could be approached from both north and south banks. The ferry was established in 1873 by John D. Lee and became the primary crossing point for pioneers, settlers, and the famous Honeymoon Trail travelers heading from northern Arizona to St. George, Utah to register their marriages in the Mormon temple. The ferry operated until the bridge opened in 1929. Once the bridge opened, the ferry crossing became unnecessary overnight.

Lees Ferry remains one of the most historically significant sites in the American Southwest — the last flat water before the Colorado River enters the Grand Canyon — and is now the primary launch point for Colorado River rafting expeditions. It sits five miles north of the Navajo Bridge on US-89A and is worth a separate visit.

The View — California Condors

Walking out on the historic pedestrian bridge, the view straight down into Marble Canyon is the experience — the Colorado River visible far below, the canyon walls rising on both sides, the Vermilion Cliffs in the distance. The bridge deck has open grating in sections — the drop is visible through your feet.

Navajo Bridge is one of the best locations in Arizona to spot California condors — the critically endangered birds with a 9.5-foot wingspan that have been reintroduced to the Vermilion Cliffs area. Condors are frequently seen soaring at eye level with or below the bridge deck, using the thermal updrafts from the canyon. Rangers at the interpretive center can tell you about recent condor sightings and activity.

The Interpretive Center

The Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center on the north side of the bridge is free and open daily — exhibits explain the construction of both bridges, the history of Lees Ferry, the role the crossing played in the development of northern Arizona, and the reintroduction of California condors to the Vermilion Cliffs. A small bookstore carries titles on the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, and Southwest history. Restrooms available. Navajo vendors are often set up at the interpretive center selling jewelry, art, and crafts.

My Walk — October 7, 2020

I walked the historic bridge out over the canyon — the steel deck, the open view down to the river, the canyon walls framing the view in every direction. A stop that takes maybe 30 minutes and delivers a view that stays with you. The scale of what the builders accomplished in 1927–29 in this remote canyon location with the equipment and methods of the era is immediately apparent when you're standing on the bridge itself.

Lees Ferry — The Next Trip

Lees Ferry is five miles north on US-89A — the historic ferry crossing, the launch point for Colorado River Grand Canyon expeditions, and a campground right at the river's edge. It's on the list for a future visit and a night camping at the river before the Grand Canyon corridor begins. Worth adding to any Navajo Bridge stop as a second destination the same day.

More Information

• Historic bridge: pedestrian walkway only — vehicle traffic on modern bridge

• Interpretive Center: free, open daily approximately 9 AM–5 PM — exhibits, bookstore, restrooms

• California condors frequently spotted from bridge deck — ask rangers about recent sightings

• Navajo vendors often present at interpretive center — jewelry, art, and crafts

• Large parking areas on both sides of the bridge

• Lees Ferry: 5 miles north on US-89A — Colorado River campground, historical ferry site, Grand Canyon rafting launch

Contact

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area — National Park Service

(928) 608-6200

nps.gov/places/navajo-bridge

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