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Kinzua Bridge State Park
The 329-acre Kinzua Bridge State Park is in McKean County and features remnants of the 2,053-foot railroad bridge (viaduct) that was a National Engineering Landmark. A tornado has knocked down much of the bridge. View the report on the Collapse of the Kinzua Viaduct, prepared by the board of inquiry. |
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Directions - Weather - Recreation - Winter Report - Accessibility - History - Calendar of Events - Nearby Attractions - Volunteers - Rules and Regs - In an Emergency - Contact Us - Downloadables and Maps
Park Advisories
| 8/5/2008 9:16:00 AM | Firewood Advisory: Invasive Beetles found in Firewood Threaten Forests! Before bringing firewood to a Pennsylvania State Park, please read the information in the linked page about a very real threat to forests in Pennsylvania and all of North America. Firewood Advisory |
Multi-media Gallery
Photographs: This photo gallery contains images from after a tornado knocked down the bridge. The images are .jpg versions.
photo gallery
Directions
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Kinzua Bridge State Park is four miles north of US 6 at Mt. Jewett on SR 3011. |
Recreational Advisory
Due to unsafe conditions in and around the bridge during repairs and clean up efforts, visitors are prohibited from walking on or under the bridge, and hiking in the immediate surrounding area, as indicated on the map.
Recreational Opportunities
Scenic View: The bridge overlook gives great views of the viaduct and the Kinzua Creek Valley. The accessible overlook is great for viewing fall foliage and the Kinzua Creek Valley. Peak viewing times are the first two weeks of October.
Picnicking: The picnic area has shaded picnic tables, water and a modern restroom.
Hunting and Firearms: About 100 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, bear and turkey. Hunting is not permitted from the bridge. Adjacent State Game Land 62 is open to hunting and general recreation.
Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day to March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.
Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. The park is used by other visitors during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment must be kept in the owner's car, trailer or camp.
For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.
Trash Disposal and Recycling
Kinzua Bridge State Park participates in a carry-in/carry-out trash disposal program for small parks. There are no trash collection or recycling facilities. Visitors are asked to limit the amount of disposable items brought to the park and to take all trash, garbage, and recyclables home.
Access for People with Disabilities
If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)
History
When built in 1882, Kinzua Viaduct was the highest railroad bridge in the world. It was constructed as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.
Built of iron, the original viaduct was 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds.
By 1900, it became necessary to rebuild the entire structure with steel to accommodate heavier trains. That May, about 100 to 150 men working ten-hour days completed the job in 105 days. The new steel viaduct had the same measurements, but now weighed 6,715,000 pounds.
Freight traffic discontinued in June of 1959. In 1963, Governor William Scranton signed a law that created Kinzua Bridge State Park. The park officially opened in 1970. In 1977, Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
Beginning in 1987, excursion trains traveled from Kane, PA through Allegheny National Forest, stopping on Kinzua Viaduct before returning to its point of origin.
Although the bridge received periodic inspections, it was not until a February 2002 DCNR inspection that engineers decided that the structure needed a full-scale inspection. In June, DCNR barred excursion trains from the bridge.
As the inspection continued, engineers found that sections of steel were rusted through. In August, the bridge was closed to all traffic, including pedestrians.
Engineers determined that high winds could create lateral pressure on the bridge. The wind hitting the bridge could shift the center of gravity, increasing the weight on one side. Such an event could send the whole bridge crashing to the bottom of Kinuza Gorge.
Beginning in February, 2003, W. M. Brode Co. of Newcomerstown, Ohio, a national leader in railroad bridge construction and repair, began working to restore Kinzua Viaduct.
On Monday, July 21, 2003, at approximately 3:15 p.m., an F1 tornado (wind speed 73 – 112 mph) struck the side of Kinzua Viaduct. Eleven towers from the center of the bridge were torn from their concrete bases and thrown to the valley floor. Fortunately no one was seriously injured.
Repairs continue in an effort to stabilize the remaining nine towers. DCNR is now in conducting feasibility studies to determine what to do with Kinzua Bridge.
Visitors may photograph and view the bridge from the observation deck adjacent to the bridge. Two spotting scopes are on the observation deck for a close-up look at tornado damage and bridge repairs.
Nearby Attractions
For information on nearby attractions, please contact the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, 800-473-9370.In an Emergency
Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.
Nearest Hospital:
Kane Community Hospital
4372 Route 6
Kane, PA 16735
814-837-8585
For More Information Contact
Kinzua Bridge State Park
c/o Bendigo
Johnsonburg, PA 15845-0016
814-965-2646
Manager: Jason Zimmerman
E-mail: bendigosp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer
Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.
