Bridge Mix
Southern
bridges await your crossing.
By Georgia
Brown
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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
Florida can boast it has two of the six land bridges constructed
in North America. These wide, grassy bridges safely accommodate
trail riders and funnel wild creatures over high traffic roads.
The first one, on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway,
crosses Interstate 75 |
The
best multiuse trails achieve two goals: keeping pristine areas
forever natural and providing safe corridors for recreation
and wildlife viewing. |
| 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 |
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 |
Safety
Tips for Crossing Highway Bridges |
Jo
Williams, a seasoned trail rider from the Tallahassee
area, remembers crossing over the Interstate on a quiet,
dirt road with a trail group a few years ago, “The
bridge itself was paved. At first, my half-Mustang mare
seemed pretty calm, but when a semi truck coming down
the highway caught her eye, she bolted. It was like we
were at the Kentucky Derby for a while! Of course once
she got to the other side and onto the dirt again, she
settled down.”
Jo and her husband JL have a routine when crossing a bridge
with a group, “We walk three abreast and put the
seasoned horses on the outside. That way the younger horse
is in the middle and can’t see the movement of the
traffic below. And we position one person, like a sentinel,
on each end to direct traffic until we have all crossed.” |
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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 |
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.. |
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
The Rails to Trails program has been a singular force in converting
old railroad right of ways into multiuse trails for hikers,
equestrians and bicyclists. Often public-private partnerships
provide the funds for construction and maintenance.
The best connect towns to farm country, thereby creating ecotourism
income in rural counties. Free of vehicular traffic, they
are usually peaceful corridors, especially on weekdays.
Historic
Trails & Bridges |
Covered
Bridge at Elkmont. |
| 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
The Limestone Rail Trail in northern Alabama, once the Tennessee
and Alabama Railroad, has a Civil War site, two bridges and
gentle inclines that make it a great place for beginners or
young horses. The hamlet of Elkmont is the center point of
the 8.8-mile trail. Day riders report everyone is friendly
(the trailhead is right downtown), and a good restaurant is
within walking distance of the parking lot.
Shady trails pass a variety of rural activities. It’s
an ideal place to ride during hunting season when you can’t
ride anywhere else. To the north, a quaint, new covered bridge
over a stream is framed by the Alabama hills. To the south,
a marker describes the 1864 Battle of Sulphur Creek Trestle,
a strategic point on the Union’s supply line from Chattanooga.
By the time the Union surrendered to General Bedford Forest,
200 soldiers had died.
Recent improvements include large rocks placed as impromptu
mounting blocks. Many horses eye them suspiciously, convinced
they are rare “crocadidlies.” Bottom line: this
is also a good place to train a trail horse.
Silver Comet Trail Bridges & Tunnel
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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 |
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
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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. |
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
On the Virginia Creeper Trail you’re following in the
moccasin prints of Native Americans. The path became a railroad
and then a multiuse trail, replacing the Virginia-North Carolina
Railway, which operated from 1905 to 1977. The Creeper is
a fine example of cooperation among diverse users. Equestrians
can use 33 miles of hard-packed gravel trails that cross many
bridges, including the long Laurel Creek Trestle.
Nancy Smith, a trail rider who has often used the popular
Damascus trailhead said, “It’s a gentle downhill
cinder path that follows the road for a while before dropping
to a shady trail along a creek. It passes through tiny villages
and woods. If your horse ties, you can stop at one of the
cafes along the way for a cold drink and a snack.”
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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Bridge |
Georgia
Brown is a freelance travel writer who frequently writes
about horses. She raised horses for several years and
learned many life lessons while competing in dressage
and distance trail riding with a gentlemanly Arbian
Stallion that live to the ripe old age of 33. She currently
lives in Sarasota, Florida.
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