The Patapsco Swinging Bridge is a pedestrian

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

located in the Avalon/Orange Grove area of

Patapsco Valley State Park Patapsco Valley State Park is a Maryland state park extending along of the Patapsco River south and west of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The park encompasses multiple developed areas on over acres of land, making it Maryland's largest st ...

in central

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, just outside of Baltimore. It consists of a wooden deck supported by large

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

s. The Patapsco Valley has a history of "swinging" bridges built for pedestrian travel from one side of the

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

to the other. The Orange Grove

Flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

Mill was one such popular crossing and is where the current bridge now stands. The first bridge was built by the Orange Grove Flour Mill for employees to cross the river. The new swinging bridge, built by the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. I ...

, is one of the most well known and most popular attractions at the Patapsco Valley State Park.

Grist Mill Trail Bridge

The new swinging bridge was constructed October 6, 2006. It is located at the end of the new Grist Mill Trail in the Avalon area, crossing the Patapsco River and joining with Ilchester Road. This new pedestrian bridge completes the Grist Mill Trail extension, a trail that provides access into Patapsco Valley State Park from Ellicott City,

Catonsville Catonsville () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 44,701 at the 2020 US Census. The community is a streetcar suburb of Baltimore along the city's western border. The town is known for its proximit ...

and other upstream communities for the first time since

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...

struck in June 1972. The grand opening for the bridge was November 4, 2006.

Grist Mill Trail Bridge

See also