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Scrubby plains and strafing winds dominate the landscape of central Wyoming. But from an Interstate 25 exit west of Douglas, a narrow road leads down a lush canyon where a natural stone bridge spans a serene creek.

“It is a gorgeous park,” said Ayres Natural Bridge Park caretaker Christy Smith. “It is very, very tranquil.”

With red rock walls hugging a green expanse of lawns, campsites and leafy trees, the park attracts local visitors as well as tourists who marvel at Ayres Bridge — one of only three natural stone bridges in the U.S. that spans running water. But in recent years, the park facilities were showing their age, said Smith, who lives i

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