Pennsylvania is blessed with 124 state parks. They are all important and special in their own way, with proximity often being close to where one lives. Center County is fortunate to have five state parks: Black Moshannon, Penn Roosevelt, Poe Valley, Poe Paddy and the great Bald Eagle State Park.
They’re all special, but there are some state parks that I would elevate to the “super special” category. These are parks, such as Ricketts Glen with its 22 named waterfalls or the towering old-growth forests in Cook Forest, that fit into this category. Last Sunday I visited another park that I would add to that category because of its uniqueness.
Kinzua Bridge State Park is located in northern McKean County, part of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The park’s 339 hectares are centered around what was once the highest and longest railway bridge in the world. The land and bridge were purchased by the state in 1963. The park opened in 1970.
My father was very interested in Pennsylvania history, and I even visited the bridge as a child before it became a park. What has happened since then is astonishing. The progressive vision of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has made the park a major tourist attraction.
History from Kinzua Bridge
Construction of the Kinzua Bridge Viaduct began in 1881 and was completed in 1882. It was over 90 meters high and 600 meters long. The bridge spanned a completely forested Kinzua Creek Valley and was an alternative to the construction of eight miles of additional track. Trains using the bridge transported timber, coal, oil and people. As trains became heavier, it became necessary in 1900 to replace the original iron structure with stronger steel. It took 100 to 150 men just 105 days to complete the replacement.
Freight traffic was stopped in 1959. Between 1987 and 2002, excursion trains brought tourists from Marienville to see the bridge. During a 2002 inspection, the bridge was determined to be unsafe and closed to rail and pedestrian traffic. The following year, work to renovate the bridge began.
Disaster struck on the afternoon of July 21, 2002, when a tornado with winds of more than 100 miles per hour struck the side of the bridge, toppling eleven steel towers that had formed the center of the bridge. An investigation found that the weak link that allowed tornadic winds to topple the bridge had to do with the iron anchor bolts that held the bridge towers to their concrete supports.
A reimagined experience
The bridge was redesigned as the Kinzua Skywalk – built on the six restored towers that were spared by the tornado. The 180 meter long and 70 meter high walkway was opened in 2011. Visitors can view the remaining part of the bridge on the other side of the valley, as well as the twisted, fallen towers as they fell in 2002. You can even look straight down through plexiglass panels at the end of the skywalk. The bird’s eye view of the valley below is breathtaking. A state-of-the-art visitor center opened in 2016.
The visitor center is quite impressive, with parts of the original iron bridge and salvaged steel. Large windows provide great views of the skywalk. The visitor center has bronze statues of the men who made the bridge possible, 5-foot model railroad cars to demonstrate the products being hauled across the bridge, and many historic photographs. There is a nature room, interactive exhibits and a gift shop. Be sure to watch the short video that explains more about the bridge’s history than I can describe here.
If time permits, hike the steep trail to Kinzua Creek and cross the stream to walk among the wreckage. Please note: the trail is labeled as ‘most strenuous’ by the park and the designation is not an exaggeration.
The best time to visit is now
Fall is the most popular time to visit the park. October 12 was a beautiful day and the park attracted an estimated 4,000 visitors. I was shocked to see more than 100 cars in the parking lot the next day – a rainy Sunday. The park estimated 3,000 visitors that day.
In preparation for improvements, a planned evaluation of the Skywalk took place in September. Visit now because the skywalk and path to the bottom will be closed starting November 19 for a multi-year project. If all goes well, it will temporarily reopen for the fall foliage of 2025. DCNR expects the project to be completed in fall 2027.
The leaves are beautiful now and will remain that way as the oaks take on their fall colors.
Center County is considered the gateway to the Pennsylvania Wilds. Kinzua Bridge State Park is a 2.5 hour drive (110 miles almost due north) from State College – a pleasant drive with lots of color. Here’s a bonus for your trip there: There are nice country restaurants in and around Brockway and Ridgway.
Mark Nale, who lives in the Bald Eagle Valley, is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association and can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com.
