The bridge to nowhere is one of the hikes I have been wanting to do for over a year. The bridge history is as follows: the bridge was originally built to be a road that connects Azuza through the mountains to another highway, so the road was built all the way up to the bridge, then it was wiped out in the flood of 1938. After this no one tried to rebuild the road and so the bridge is now only accessible through a 10 mile roundtrip hike. When you turn the corner and see the bridge for the first time it is really a strange site and a beautiful bridge. To think that it has really never been driven on and was built only to be abandoned is pretty interesting. Read on for the full hike recap told through photography and make sure to check out the bridge to nowhere yourself, it is worth the hike.
Starting Out
We set out on our path to the bridge to nowhere at around 10 o’clock in the morning. The parking lot was packed so we had to park down the road, but after a short walk we got to the start of the trail, a road closed sign.
There was eight of us in our group and one of the members was carrying his kid during this adventure. We started out on the trek and almost immediately got to a river crossing. It had been raining the night before and was humid, but the river crossing was not dangerous and the water was nice and cool. The rock to the left of Zac looks like a face in the below picture.
The Trail
The path is pretty much left up to your imagination, but the general rule is that if you are confused where to go, follow the river and try to stay towards the right, the upper path. Along the way we crossed over many broken pieces of the road, that showed where it had originally run.
The terrain is easily accessible but does have a lot of rocks that you have to walk over and that slow down the trip. There is also a decent amount of up and down over the terrain.
After about 2 and a half miles there is a little waterfall that greets you before you leave the foliage for a mostly barren second half of the hike.
The Bridge
This hike is truly beautiful the entire time, whether you are crossing the river, looking down at the canyon below or walking through the trees, there is a ton to see at every turn. When we finally arrived at the bridge there was at least 50 people there watching and partaking in the bungee jumping that is one of the highlights of this hike. Check out the video below.
No one in our group was prepared with the cash needed to participate in this adrenaline rush (they don’t take card), but I’m sure next time we will try it out.
It was really fun to watch people do it as it looked completely crazy but a once in a lifetime experience for sure. There was a line the entire time we were there, which makes me wonder how often they actually do this, every weekend or through the weekdays as well. It cost $80 dollars to make the jump in 2013.
After time for lunch and exploring we went down and swam in the river. You can jump off rocks and just kick back and relax for as long as you like before heading back on the trip home. This bridge and the area surrounding it is private property and they have a lot of signs to warn you of that as well.
Solar Rainbow
On the way back we saw a weird almost rainbow like circle around the sun which was definitely an experience as well.
The hike back is mostly downhill but still takes 2 to 3 hours as you have to cross back and forth over the river and walk along the rocks, however it is really a nice trip back and has a lot to look at and take in.
Wildlife and Berries
On the way back we saw everything from rattlesnakes to wild raspberries and even stopped for another swim in the river. This is a popular hike and we passed probably about 100 people on the way there and back. It is especially popular in the summer since you are in the water a lot and can use that to cool off.
All in all this hike took us around 7 hours and was a blast from start to finish. The hike is a moderately difficult trip with about 10 miles and 1000 feet of elevation, but I would say most people could do it. If you are in the LA area it is really worth a trip, the hike is completely beautiful the entire time and the bridge is a great ending for the hike. Make sure to bring your cash so you can jump off of it, and also remember to bring your swimming trunks so you can partake in all the great river pools.
Check out the rest of the pictures and leave me a comment. If you have done this hike before I would love to hear your thoughts on it as well.
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