8 of the World’s Biggest Natural Arches

Formed over tens of thousands of years by wind erosion, acidic rainwater, or freeze-thaw cycles, naturally occurring land bridges are a testament to the power of Mother Nature and how Earth’s surface is shaped over long periods of time. Many of the world’s biggest natural arches are protected in national parks and scenic conservation areas, with some spanning more than 300 feet, nearly the length of a football field. Check out eight of the widest land bridges around the world. 

8. Aloba Arch – Chad

Towering 394 feet high with a span of 250 feet, Aloba Arch is the eighth-largest natural arch in the world, according to the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, a nonprofit group dedicated to studying and preserving these delicate rock formations. Located on the Ennedi Plateau in northeastern Chad, the Aloba Arch is a geological wonder that’s hard to reach due to extreme weather conditions in the scorching Sahara Desert. The arch is an anomaly, as it is the largest rock arch on this list not located in China or the Colorado Plateau of the southwestern United States.

7. Qingxudong Arch – China

The planet’s seventh-largest natural rock arch stands 246 feet tall and spans 251 feet. Located 5 miles southeast of the city of Dafang in China’s Guizhou province, Qingxudong Arch is considered both a through-cave — as it requires a headlamp in dark sections — and a natural bridge. The surrounding area is a karst landscape characterized by soluble bedrock and formed by erosion. 

6. Kolob Arch – Utah

Adventurists wishing to make the trek to see the 287-foot-wide Kolob Arch in Utah’s Zion National Park must hike nearly 14 miles out and back on the La Verkin Creek Trail to appreciate its majesty up close. Made primarily of red Navajo sandstone, the land bridge was sculpted over millions of years by erosion and is located in one of the lesser-visited areas of the popular park, making it a peaceful place to unwind and enjoy Zion’s stunning landscapes with fewer crowds.

5. Landscape Arch – Utah

Another famous rock formation in Utah earns fifth place in the ranking of the world’s biggest natural arches. Located in the aptly named Arches National Park just north of Moab, the 290-foot span known as Landscape Arch is the longest natural rock bridge in North America. Standing 77.5 feet tall, the arch is made of Entrada sandstone and is located in Devils Garden, named for its spiky series of rock fins and arches formed by erosion and accessible via the easy 1.8-mile-long Devils Garden Trail. 

4. Dachuandong Arch – China

Spanning an impressive 300 feet, Dachuandong Arch (near the village of Si Lian in China’s Guizhou province) is the fourth-largest natural arch on Earth. The 135-foot-tall land bridge is part of Getu River National Park, which includes several other stunning limestone formations and caves, including the “Swallow Cave” — home to thousands of swallows that fly through the cave at sunrise and sunset.

3. Jiangzhou Natural Bridge – China

Also known as Jiangzhou Immortal Bridge, Jiangzhou Natural Bridge has a span of 310 feet. Some visitors say it resembles the neck of a dinosaur kissing a mountain. The massive arch is located in Leye-Fengshan UNESCO Global Geopark, which is home to 28 sinkholes alongside caves, underground rivers, and other dramatic geological features. Jiangzhou Natural Bridge is the remains of karstic limestone, formed due to erosion in the transition zone between the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau and the Guangxi basin. 

2. Zhijin Natural Bridge – China

Located in the Zhijin Cave UNESCO Global Geopark in Guizhou province, Zhijin Natural Bridge is part of a group of five natural bridges spanning the Qijiehe River Gorge. The 340-foot arch stands amid the spectacular karst topography of the Zhijin Grand Canyon. Surrounded by steep cliffs, deep gorges, and lush greenery, the natural land bridge is a mesmerizing scene for those visiting this part of China.

1. Xianren Bridge – China

Xianren Bridge, commonly known as the “Fairy Bridge,” is the largest natural rock arch in the world, measuring an astounding 400 feet in length, 40 feet longer than a football field. Carved from a limestone karst formation by flowing water in the Buliu River, the massive span was only recently discovered in 2009, when Jay Wilbur, the founder of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, spotted it in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region near the border between China and Vietnam while browsing Google Earth. 

In 2010, society member Ray Millar reached the Fairy Bridge in real life, but because of its remote location, the arch is accessible only by bamboo or inflatable rafts from the river. The geological marvel is now also part of the Leye-Fengshan UNESCO Global Geopark.