This weekend, MJ, Blair and I traveled to the Kinzua Bridge State Park in North Central Pennsylvania near the Allegheny National Forest. The bridge was originally built in 1882 and was labeled the Eighth Wonder of the World. It held the record as the tallest railroad bridge in the world (301 feet tall) for a short period of time. In 1900, they took it down and rebuilt it with steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains. It was used for trains until 1959 and then sold to Pennsylvania to become a state park. They started to restore the bridge in 2002, but a tornado struck the bridge in 2003 before they finished the restoration project. The result of the tornado ended with a large portion of the bridge collapsing down into the valley and Kinzua Creek.
Fortunately for all of us, Pennsylvania still converted it into a State Park. They took one end of bridge (a portion still standing) and converted it into a large observation deck. There are also lots of hiking trails throughout the 316 acres. We hiked down one of the trails to the bottom of the valley, crossed over Kinzua Creek and walk around the debris field. Beyond the long drive, I love it. The State has done a great job converting this into a park and based on the number of people visiting it, it’s a success.
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