Bridge Mix: Southern bridges await your crossing.
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| Bridges enable us to go beyond, crossing water or empty space into new territory. To cross an old railroad trestle or a new multiuse bridge is a challenge, but if you are on the back of a trusty horse, you’ll get a unique feeling of satisfaction when you reach the other side.
Audacious New Land Bridges |
 The best multiuse trails achieve two goals: keeping pristine areas forever natural and providing safe corridors for recreation and wildlife viewing. |
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| south of Ocala, another spans Interstate 95 north of Palm Coast. There is also a rumor that a third land bridge is in the works that would cross Interstate 4 west of Daytona Beach connecting portions of Tiger Bay State Forest.
Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, Interstate75 |
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| There are so many miles of trails that you don't see people very often, even if there are a lot of trailers in the parking lot," said Wayne, who heads up the volunteer mounted patrol that reports obstructions on the trails. "Riders who are spaced out 20 minutes apart are unlikely to run into each other because most of the horse trails are laid out in loops." Both the Land Bridge Trailhead, which is on the east side of I-75, and the popular 49th Avenue Trailhead on the west side have trailer parking, restrooms, water and picnic benches. The Greenway's natural communities of longleaf sandhill pine and scrub to the west are also the site of the |
 Spanning Interstate 95 in Flagler County this land bridge connects the trails near the Florida Agriculture Museum with the Pellicer Creek Conservation Area in the St. John’s River Water Management District. |
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| remnants of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project conceived in the 1930s. Called the "diggings" on the map, they are wide linear areas that were carved out of the landscape to create the canal. Today they are reforested, small-scale valleys that present challenging trails for equestrians. |
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| Wayne Vaught, now retired from the Marion County Sheriff Department, remembers when the bridge was new: “The vegetation was still getting established and you could hear and see the traffic below. Now that the vegetation has grown up, you can only see the traffic from the opening at the center.” Wayne heads up the volunteer mounted patrol that reports obstructions and downed trees. “There are so many miles of trails that you don’t see people very often, even if there are a lot of trailers in the parking lot at the 49th Avenue trailhead.” He explained, “Riders who are spaced out 20 minutes apart are unlikely to run into each other because most of the horse trails are laid out in loops.” East of the bridge there is a trailhead with restrooms, trailer parking and access to the land bridge horse trails. On the west side of the bridge, the Cross Florida Greenway is host to natural communities of longleaf pine, sandhill pine and sand pine scrub. This area is also the |
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| site of a historic excavation. Remnants of the former Cross Florida Barge Canal project are wide linear areas that were literally carved out of the landscape to create the canal. Today, they exist as reforested, small-scale valleys that present a challenging trail for many riders. Interstate 95 Land Bridge |
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| Florida’s second land bridge, spanning Interstate 95 in Flagler County, was completed in 2004. It connects the trails near the Florida Agriculture Museum with the Pellicer Creek Conservation Area in the St. John’s River Water Management District. Cathy Weeks, a deputy sheriff for Flagler County responsible for the volunteer mounted patrol, recommends using the Princess Place Trailhead because it offers water and primitive overnight camping. “It takes one to two hours to get to the land bridge from there. And you’ll see some deer and wild hogs along the trail,” she added |
 Covered Bridge at Elkmont.. |
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On the west side, the trail continues on an upland ridge to the Caldwell Dairy Barn at the Florida Agriculture Museum. Trail riders and groups are invited to use the Museum’s trailhead facilities, but they must call ahead to make arrangements. Sharing trails means respecting other users: it’s essential for the safety and enjoyment of all. Trail etiquette is simple: Where multiuse trails merge at bridges and other bottlenecks, hikers yield to equestrians; bikers yield to both. |
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Bridges on Multiuse Trails Historic Trails & Bridges |
 Covered Bridge at Elkmont. |
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| Everyone loves the sound of a train in the distance, but the decline of the railroad era became a surprise bonus for multiuse trails that use old railroad bridges.
Limestone Rail Trail |
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| In Northwest Georgia the 65-mile Silver Comet Trail follows the route of one of the South’s most famous passenger routes, which until 1988, linked Birmingham to Atlanta and points north. Today it’s a cement bicycle path from Smyrna (near Atlanta) to the Alabama state line. Some segments have been designated as equestrian trails; however, the horse trail merges with the paved bike path to cross the bridges. The longest one is the 750-foot long Pumkinvine Creek Trestle at Mile Marker 23 near Dallas in Paulding County. It rises 127 feet above the creek and gives |  Brushy Mountain Tunnel |
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| sweeping views of the valley. The nearest trailhead with parking for horse trailers is Rambo Nursery at MM 22. At Brushy Mountain, near Rockmart, is an 800-foot tunnel—a good exercise for training a police horse! Equestrians are required to lead horses across bridges and through the tunnel. For more information, check with the Path Foundation, which has a guidebook that can be ordered from their website. |
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| Florida’s Nature Coast Trail Bridge Florida’s Nature Coast Trail crosses a spectacular a railroad bridge high over the Suwannee River. Equestrians can currently ride five miles between trailheads at Fanning Springs and Old Town. Short, but a great photo opportunity. Look for future equestrian extensions paralleling the entire 32-mile paved trail. Soon there will be more trails and greenways in Florida according to the Department of Environmental Protection. A 51-mile purchase (the largest to date) from the Florida East Coast Railway will connect trails in Brevard and Volusia Counties. DuPont Forest Covered Bridge Trail In the DuPont State Forest near Hendersonville, North Carolina, 80 miles of two-track and service roads take you to lakes, rock-strewn waterfalls and streams so clear the horses seem to enjoy drinking from them. After you’ve ridden across the classic covered bridge, the trail continues to High Falls. Watch for tie outs on the left and nearby you’ll find a steep hiking trail leading |
 A rider experiences the past on an old railroad trestle over the Suwannee at old town on Florida's Nature Coast Trail bridge. |
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| down to a viewing area. Hikers, bikers, fishermen and hunters all share the trails. During hunting season, riders are directed to use trails in a safety zone. There’s no camping in the forest, but the Ultimate Ride Campground is located near an access point to the forest. Holly View Farm, just nine miles away, offers campground facilities and stalls for your horses. From there it’s a short trailer ride to the forest or more trails at Mt. Pisgah National Park. |
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Big South Fork National River You can’t talk about trails with bridges in the Southeast without mentioning the Big South Fork National River Recreation Area. The 125,000-acre park offers 180 miles of trails in eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, a century-old trestle bridge and many natural sandstone bridges. A unique combination of geological factors on the Cumberland Plateau west of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains formed masses of suspended sandstone and steep-walled canyons that have the look of western-like natural wonders. |
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| One of the most spectacular trails crosses the Cumberland River gorge on the Oneida & Western Railroad Trestle and continues along a creek to a place where you can see cliffs and the gorge at Laurel Fork. The truss bridge was assembled in 1913 by the O & W Railroad and last used in 1954. Scott County owns and maintains the steel and wooden plank bridge now. It’s open to vehicular traffic as well as bicyclists and equestrians. Finding funds to preserve this historic bridge is a challenge for a rural county. Without funding from private-public partnerships (an increasingly popular solution), some bridges are dismantled and sold for scrap. Several camps offer varying degrees of equestrian comforts. Bandy Creek Stables provides campsites, horses for guided rides, rental cabins and stalls. Charit Creek Lodge, a backcountry hostel accessible only by foot, bike or horse, offers a choice of cabins or dormitory rentals and stalls for horses. |
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If you want to see the natural sandstone arches, Charit Creek, Bear Creek and Station Camp (in Kentucky) have trails close enough to tie your horse and cross environmentally sensitive land to overlooks.Virginia Creeper Trail Maybe that’s what we’re all seeking—peaceful trails, a steady horse, the quietude of nature, a cool drink and a few comforts along the way. |
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