Crossing This 116-Year-Old Bridge In South Dakota Is Like Walking Through History
By Tori Jane|Published February 06, 2024
×
Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
A long time ago (and we’re talking long; originally-built-in-1883 long) a bridge spanning Splitrock Creek was destroyed by one of nature’s fiercest – and most underestimated – forces. Obliterated by an ice jam in 1896, nothing took its place for another 12 years. Finally, in 1908, the need for another bridge over the creek was recognized – and thus, the old Palisades Bridge was born. There are a lot of bridges in South Dakota… but this historic bridge in South Dakota has a weirdly special place in my heart.
Palisades State Park is a truly breathtaking place, drawing in visitors from all over the state, hoping to see its full majesty despite its miniature size.
One of the major attractions to the park is the enormous cliffs and bluffs made of pink Sioux quartzite. They're beautiful, but at the end of the day, sometimes you need a way across the water that doesn't involve wading.
Enter the old Palisades Bridge, which spans the gap between two impressive cliffs nestled within the park.
A quick fun fact: There are more than 1,800 bridges in South Dakota more than 20 feet long known and named by SDOT. It sounds like a lot... but you'd be surprised at how much land is out there.
Advertisement
Resting peacefully upon two abutments of the jaw-dropping pink quartzite, this old bridge is one of the most fascinating historical features in this little park.
...and it's little. In fact, it's actually the second smallest state park in South Dakota. In total, it's only 157 acres... but goodness, I just really love that old bridge.
Small vehicles like ATVs, motorcycles, and UTVs are still allowed to cross, and foot traffic is also allowed (yay!). New barriers have been installed allowing only vehicles no wider than 66 inches through. Larger vehicles will have to find another way.
As much of a bummer as the news is, it was a much-needed move to make in order to preserve the entirety of the historic structure.
Sure, you can't drive across it or jump from it (and I'm pretty sure jumping has never been permitted anyway), but that isn't the point. The point is to admire this old-school feat of engineering that now seems to pull the whole landscape together.
The cliffs just wouldn't look the same without it.
Of course, with more than 1,800 bridges in South Dakota to check out during this lifetime, I’m pretty sure you’ll never get bored. Why stop at just this one? Give all of our historic bridges a look… if you’ve got a minute, anyway. Planning to turn it into a road trip? Don’t forget to pack all the essentials with our epic road trip snack packing list.
Do you have a favorite bridge in South Dakota? Tell me about it in the comments.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
