Life Spans
Six dramatic bridges you can visit, walk across—and never forget Travel
Leaping across rivers,
canyons, and seemingly
endless seas, bridges can
provide cheap—and dra-
matic—thrills. Here are six
camera-ready crossings.
BEAR MOUNTAIN
BRIDGE
New York
Hemmed in by mountains
at one of the Hudson Riv-
er’s narrowest spots, this
is among the most pictur-
esque bridges in America.
Drive the winding road to
the top of Bear Mountain
for an epic view of Manhat-
tan, 45 miles south (free).
ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE
Canon City, Colorado
A theme park is adjacent
to this 1929 span, though
walking the wood-planked
bridge is the wildest ride
of all, 1,053 feet above the
Arkansas River. A nearby
incline railway takes you
to the river below ($26
admission to bridge, park,
and railway; 888-333-5597;
royalgorgebridge.com).
PERRINE BRIDGE
Twin Falls, Idaho
Arcing like a steel rainbow
486 feet above the Snake
River, the Perrine is the
only bridge in the United
States where BASE jump-
ing (parachuting from fixed
objects) is allowed all year
without a permit. One mile
to the east, you can still see
the dirt ramp Evel Knievel
used in his ill-fated 1974
attempt to jump the Snake
River canyon (free).
CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
Vancouver, British Columbia
Think of it as that swinging rope bridge from summer camp,
only this bridge sways 230 feet above the rushing Capilano
River. The admission price includes the bridge and Cliff-
walk, a cantilevered treetop walkway through a rain forest
($29.95; $27.95 for seniors; 877-985-7474; capbridge.com).
WHEELING SUSPENSION
BRIDGE
West Virginia
Resembling a mini Brook-
lyn Bridge, this 1,010-foot-
long span opened in 1849,
34 years before the New
York icon. Stroll halfway
across the undulating
walkway to view barges
passing below on the
Ohio River. In summer,
Wheeling sponsors movies
and concerts on the water-
front (free).
OLD SEVEN MILE BRIDGE
Marathon, Florida
Railroad tycoon Henry
Flagler laid pilings for the
only roadway to Key West
100 years ago. In 1982 the
old bridge was replaced by
a new one just to its south.
But you can still walk or
bike on the original, more
than two miles out to sea,
watching pelicans above
and sharks and dolphins
below (free).
—Bill Newcott
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