Pavement Ends
James Baughn was the webmaster of seMissourian.com and its sister newspapers for 20 years. On the side, he maintained even more sites, including Bridgehunter.com, LandmarkHunter.com, TheCapeRock.com, and Humorix. Baughn passed away in 2020 while doing one of the things he loved most: hiking in Southeast Missouri. Here is an archive of his writing about hiking and nature in our area.
Pomona Natural Bridge is a must-see Illinois landmark
Posted Friday, March 13, 2009, at 9:44 AM
In my last blog, I described the Cave Creek Trail near Pomona. Of course, a visit to Pomona wouldn't be complete without seeing the Natural Bridge.
Featuring a 90-foot span, the bridge provides a dramatic sight from any angle.
From above:
From below:
From close-up:
From a distance:
From downstream:
And from on top:
The trail leads directly over the top of the bridge (if you dare). Made of solid sandstone, there's no worries about weight limits or structural deficiencies with this span.
Don't forget to check out some of the other rock formations nearby, such as this oddity:
Given enough time, this chunk of sandstone might erode to create a natural arch of its own.
The trail to the bridge is a short 5-minute hike from the parking lot. Unfortunately, the access road isn't quite as simple. This is Illinois, where road signs are in short supply (but I'll save that rant for my next blog).
Driving directions:
(Steps 1-5 are the same as for the Cave Creek Trail.)
1. Cross the Emerson Bridge and take Highway 146 through McClure and Ware toward Jonesboro.
2. Turn left (north) on Highway 127 and drive past Alto Pass.
3. Look for the turnoff for Pomona on the left.
4. At the tiny village of Pomona, turn right at the stop sign, following the signs for Pomona Natural Bridge.
5. The paved road turns left. Continue straight on to the gravel road (Natural Bridge Road). The pavement ends here -- and so do the road signs.
6. After crossing Cave Creek, you'll see an intersection with Godwin Road on the left. Continue straight.
7. At the next unmarked fork in the road, veer right and drive up the hill.
8. The road enters a clearing with an ominous NO TRESPASSING sign on the right. Don't panic; continue straight.
9. Follow the road as it re-enters the woods and curves around to the left.
10. The road ends at the Natural Bridge parking area.
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