Douglas in Converse County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Ayres Natural Bridge

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, October 16, 2026

1. Ayres Natural Bridge Marker

Inscription. Ayres Natural Bridge Park is located just five miles south of your present location. The Park is home to Ayres Natural Bridge- one of Wyoming's earliest historic tourist destinations. Despite the difficulty of accessing the natural bridge, travel weary pioneers occasionally trekked into the area from nearby historic trails. The rock archway has been cut through the Madison Limestone, a rock over 300 million years old. Sometime after 5 million years ago years ago, LaPrele Creek changed course and cut through the limestone to form the arch we see today. The arch measures about 100 ft long and is perched between 30 and 50 ft above the current level of LaPrele Creek. On 17 August, 1870, Dr. F. V. Hayden of the U.S. Geological Survey and pioneer photographer William H. Jackson visited the location. Ayres Natural Bridge Park was established in 1920 when Andrew Clement and Edna Ayres donated the land containing the natural bridge to Converse County. The Park grew to 15 acres in 1977 thanks to an additional donation from Glen and Ila Mae Edwards. The park is a green oasis of evergreen and deciduous trees, flora

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and fauna, all located within an amphitheater of red sandstone walls. Today's park visitors are greeted with easy access and ample opportunity for outdoor recreation including hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. Improved picnic shelters, sand volleyball courts, restrooms,and camping spots for units under 30 feet in length are offered.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Natural Features • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 42° 47.657′ N, 105° 36.842′ W. Marker is in Douglas, Wyoming, in Converse County. It is on Natural Bridge Road near I 25, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 49 Natural Bridge Road, Douglas WY 82633, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Westward Expansion Trails Region

and in the Powder River Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, October 16, 2026

2. Ayres Natural Bridge Marker

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ayres Natural Bridge Park (here, next to this marker); Sharp, Franklin and Taylor, (approx. 1.1 miles away); Oregon Trail (approx. 2.4 miles away); Natural Bridge and the Oregon Trail (approx. 4.1 miles away); Formation of Ayres Natural Bridge (approx. 4.1 miles away); a different marker also named The Oregon Trail (approx. 7.1 miles away); Bill Hooker (approx. 7.1 miles away); Fort Fetterman (approx. 7.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Douglas.

More about this marker. Replaced a previous marker entitled "Ayres Natural Bridge Park".

Ayres Natural Bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Photograhic Co. (courtesy History Colorado)

3. Ayres Natural Bridge

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. 3. submitted on November 1, 2026. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.