Got a free afternoon and an itch for something cooler than the mall? From your campsite at Junction West you can walk, pedal, or roll straight into a living outdoor museum—three Animas River bridges that once stared down roaring floods, coal-fueled locomotives, and the dawn of modern steel.
Key Takeaways
• A flat 6-mile loop starts at Junction West and shows off three historic Animas River bridges
• Bridges you will see: 495A Howe (still carries trains), 15th Street High Bridge (huge iron), and the Swinging Footbridge (fun to walk)
• Path works for bikes, strollers, wheelchairs, pets, and even big RV travelers
• Play a scavenger hunt, touch real wood and metal samples, and learn bridge facts on flip panels
• Easy trick lets you spot Howe vs. Pratt trusses in under 10 seconds
• The High Bridge holds 160 tons of iron—about the same as 20 adult T-Rexes
• Benches, shade, Wi-Fi pockets, and picnic rocks pop up about every mile
• Photo gold: sunrise reflections at 495A, afternoon shadow stripes on High Bridge, golden-hour river curves at the footbridge
• Safety rules: trains have right-of-way, stand one bridge length back, check river flow, wear shoes that grip, leash pets
• Bonus fun: ride the steam train, grab craft coffee, join a campfire talk, and try for the Friday s’mores prize.
Guess how many tons of iron it took to hoist the 1894 “High Bridge” into place? (Hint: enough to outweigh 20 T-Rexes—answer inside!) Families can turn the route into a hands-on scavenger hunt, retirees will find level pull-outs perfect for tripod setups, and Instagram adventurers get sunrise angles so vivid they need zero filters.
Stick with us and you’ll grab:
• A 6-mile loop map that starts at our front gate—bike-ready, stroller-friendly, RV-parking noted.
• Quick ID tricks—spot a Howe vs. Pratt truss in under ten seconds.
• Best picnic rocks, Wi-Fi pockets, and flood-safe photo ledges.
Ready to cross time, steel, and river all before lunch? Let’s step onto the first span…
Quick-Glance Planning Table
Before you lace up, skim the cheat sheet below. It lines up each bridge with who’ll love it most, how far you’ll travel, and the smartest photo hack. If the kids are bouncing or your knees prefer asphalt over cobbles, one look at this grid keeps you from second-guessing the itinerary.
| Bridge | Best For | Distance from JW | Accessibility | Photo Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 495A Howe | Families, Rail Buffs | 2.1 mi | Level gravel pad | Sunrise mirror-water |
| 15th St “High” | Tripod Pros, RV Travelers | 3.4 mi | Paved overlook ramp | Mid-afternoon lattice shadows |
| Swinging Footbridge | Backpackers, Insta Couples | 4.7 mi | Stairs both ends | Golden-hour river curves |
Two wheels, four paws, or stroller wheels—all work because the loop stays under six miles and under 40 meters of climb. Benches pop up every mile, and each stop offers either Wi-Fi, shade, or both. In short, the grid saves time, data, and family debates.
Why These Bridges Matter
Between 1880 and 1920 the Denver & Rio Grande—today’s Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad—laced iron and timber across the canyoning Animas faster than gold fever spread. Bridge 495A, the 15th Street “High Bridge,” and the later Swinging Footbridge tell that rush-hour story in three quick snapshots. They withstood the 25,000 cfs torrent of 5 October 1911, a flood so violent it ripped miles of track from the valley floor and closed the Silverton branch for nine weeks, as chronicled in the Durango Telegraph report.
Still curious about the iron tonnage teased earlier? Engineers counted roughly 160 tons—think 20 adult T-Rexes—when they floated, jacked, and pinned the wrought-iron deck truss into place in 1894. Seeing that mass balanced on slim eyebars helps visitors, young or vintage, appreciate why early railroaders treated every river crossing like a moon landing.
DIY Six-Mile Loop From Junction West
Exit the resort gate, turn south, and the Animas River Trail unfurls like a riverside red carpet. Pavement markers every half-mile flash color-coded arrows—blue for outbound, green for return—so you can stash the phone and stay oriented even when cell service hides behind canyon walls. After 1.8 miles a pedestrian bridge hops the river; from there, neighborhood streets guide you toward 15th Street before the path hugs the water back home.
Families will dig Rotary Park at mile three: playground, restrooms, and shade trees make the perfect PB&J pit stop. Cycling couples can snag a craft-coffee recharge at Trailhead Café—5 G Wi-Fi rides the breeze all the way to the bike racks. And yes, the entire loop remains under 40 meters of climb, so grandparents and e-bike renters cruise in the same comfort zone.
Bridge Stop #1 – Bridge 495A
Just past mile marker two, rails gleam atop twin 60-foot Howe pony trusses rebuilt in 1901. Timber diagonals take the compression, iron tie rods swallow the tension, and the whole ensemble still ferries daily steam runs, according to Durango & Silverton records. Stand on the east-bank gravel pad and hunt for cast-iron joint cups—original hardware that looks like giant acorn hats clamping the diagonals.
Kids also get a kick from hefting the “bison-weight” timber sample at the nearby kiosk; each stringer weighs about 900 kilograms, the same as an adult plains bison. Sunrise photographers score mirror-calm reflections before train whistles ripple the water, while safety buffs note the orange line painted 30 meters back—your no-go zone whenever a locomotive approaches at its typical 20 mph. Docents sometimes challenge visitors to guess the bridge’s age based solely on those timbers, turning the viewing pad into a pop-up classroom.
Bridge Stop #2 – 15th Street “High Bridge”
Rolled in 1894, relocated twice, and buttressed in 1981, this wrought-iron deck truss is the Swiss-Army knife of Durango crossings. Crews once parked coal-filled gondolas on it as ballast against the 1911 flood; the river still won that round, sweeping the span out to the desert before workers rebuilt it weeks later, a moment captured in regional flood archives. Today, those historical scars mingle with modern reinforcements, giving the bridge a layered storytelling texture you can literally see in the rivet patterns.
Walk the paved overlook ramp and study vertical eyebars—flat iron straps drilled top and bottom. Their slim profile belies surprising strength, and comparing them to modern rolled-steel guardrails nearby turns the scene into a living textbook. Mid-afternoon, lattice shadows stripe the deck in jaw-dropping checkerboard patterns perfect for #NoFilter posts, and a turf strip keeps four-legged friends comfy while you frame that shot.
Bridge Stop #3 – The Swinging Footbridge
Locals nicknamed it the Swinging Footbridge when the 1906 suspension walkway replaced an earlier, even wobblier path linking east-bank barrios to downtown markets. Grocery runs, school walks, even courting strolls pulsed across those planks, reminding modern travelers that not every crossing thundered with locomotives. Its humble timber and cable construction offers a more intimate encounter with the river’s current, rewarding those who pause mid-span to feel the breeze.
Feel the bridge flex beneath your boots and count the steps between sway cycles—a mini physics lesson in period cables and plank mass. Budget backpackers reach the footbridge on City Bus #3 for one U.S. dollar and then pitch tents back at Junction West for 25 dollars a night; lockers sit beside the laundry room, just bring your own padlock. Early morning crossings are often serenaded by songbirds nesting in the nearby cottonwoods, adding a natural soundtrack to the gentle motion.
Hands-On Learning Stations Along the Loop
Look for flip-panel games where kids match silhouetted trusses—Howe, Pratt, Warren—to on-site photos. Parents, no fear: cheat sheets hide under the panels so you can whisper the right answer without spoiling the discovery. A timeline rail mounted waist-high traces the evolution from timber dominance to early steel, punctuated by touch-and-compare samples that let everyone feel grainy wood, grain-flow iron, and slick modern steel.
Thirty-second QR audio clips play on demand: a retired conductor explains why iron rusts orange, a geologist describes river cobbles, and an engineer recounts how workers floated pre-assembled trusses on barges. Mixing tactile, visual, and audio hits multiple learning styles and keeps foot traffic moving. The variety ensures even restless teens linger long enough to absorb a bit of engineering lore.
Safety and River Stewardship
The Animas looks calm but hides spring-flush surprises. Check the USGS gauge; if flow tops 5,000 cfs, low riverbanks near the Swinging Footbridge become no-go photo spots. Non-slip footwear and optional trekking poles keep your ankles honest when granite cobbles slick up after rain.
Trains always have right-of-way. Orange signs remind you to stand one full bridge span—about 100 feet—back when whistles echo through the canyon. Clip leashes to dogs, pack out snack wrappers, and skip shortcut switchbacks so fragile riparian plants survive to shade next season’s wanderers.
Extend the Adventure
Pair a morning steam ride with the afternoon loop: sit on the right-hand side of the northbound Durango & Silverton for prime bridge views, then disembark, grab lunch in Silverton, and roll back for an evening stroll under violet alpenglow. Kids can nab a junior-railroader booklet from the conductor—structured puzzles keep their eyes on both the track and the trusses. The rail-to-trail combo compresses a century of transportation history into one unforgettable day.
Back at camp, print the scavenger hunt PDF—Find the osprey nest, Count the gondola cars—and award sticker bragging rights at the front desk. Should thunderstorms rumble in, duck into the railroad museum or sip molten chocolate downtown before gathering round an evening campfire talk on “Bridge-Building in Snow.” Either way, the itinerary flexes with the weather, ensuring your memories stay bright even if clouds roll in.
RV and Accessibility Logistics
Junction West offers pull-through pads up to 40 feet, 50-amp hookups, and enough turning radius that a toad car won’t require a three-point shuffle. Level asphalt lots within 30 meters of each overlook mean limited-mobility travelers can roll straight from rig to railing without gravel detours.
Download a one-page bridge map PDF at the resort kiosk or via the loop’s QR codes. Pet-friendly waste stations dot the route every half-mile, and shaded benches give service dogs a cool place to flop while their humans line up that perfect bridge shot.
Every span on this six-mile loop writes a chapter of Western grit—but the best pages are the ones you’ll pen back at camp. Pitch a tent, plug in the big rig, or slip into a cozy glamping cabin at Junction West Durango Riverside Resort, rinse off trail dust in the sparkling bathhouse, and trade bridge trivia for s’mores under our star-stamped sky. Ready to turn iron-clad history into riverfront memories? Check availability and book your stay at Junction West today—your perfect basecamp is just across the next bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can my family really walk the whole bridge loop in one Saturday morning?
A: Yes—starting at the Junction West front gate you’ll cover about 6 miles/9.6 km of mostly level trail, so kids with decent sneaker stamina finish in 2.5–3 hours including snack and photo stops, leaving plenty of afternoon left for the pool or a nap.
Q: Is trail access and parking free if we’re not overnight guests?
A: Absolutely; the Animas River Trail is a public greenway and Junction West allows day visitors to park in the gravel overflow lot at no charge, first-come, first-served, as long as you check in at the office so staff know whose car belongs to whom.
Q: How stroller- and wheelchair-friendly is the route?
A: From the resort to the 15th Street overlook the path is paved and never exceeds a 3 percent grade, and both Bridge 495A and the overlook have level pads; only the Swinging Footbridge has stairs, so mobility-device users typically do an easy out-and-back to the first two bridges instead of the full loop.
Q: Where are the bathrooms and water fountains?
A: Rotary Park at mile 3 has flush toilets, drinking fountains, and shaded picnic tables, while the resort itself has restrooms you can pop into before and after the outing; bring a refillable bottle because there are no facilities at the footbridge.
Q: Are dogs welcome, and do I need a leash?
A: Leashed pups are welcome the entire way; waste-bag dispensers appear about every half-mile and a grassy strip beside the high bridge offers a cool rest spot for four-legged companions who’d rather sniff iron rivets than chase squirrels.
Q: Which bridge still shows the most original 1890s ironwork?
A: The 15th Street “High Bridge” retains its 1894 wrought-iron deck truss, complete with slim eyebars and lattice guardrail—look for the Pittsburgh Steel mill stamp on the south-side chord, a detail rail buffs love to photograph.
Q: What’s the best hour for Instagram-worthy shots?
A: Sunrise paints mirror-smooth reflections at Bridge 495A, mid-afternoon stripes the high bridge with dramatic lattice shadows, and golden hour curves light around the Swinging Footbridge—tag your posts with #AnimasBridgeQuest for resort shout-outs.
Q: Can I bike the loop and how long will it take?
A: Definitely; the entire loop is paved or smooth gravel, averages 40 m of total climb, and casual riders complete it in 45–60 minutes of pedal time—bike rentals are available 0.4 mi north of the resort at Pedal the Peaks.
Q: Is there Wi-Fi along the trail for quick uploads?
A: The resort’s 5 GHz signal reaches the first half-mile, Rotary Park broadcasts city Wi-Fi, and Trailhead Café at mile 4 offers password-free service, so you can post that T-Rex-tonnage trivia before the likes roll in.
Q: We’re retirees with limited mobility—can we park close to each photo stop?
A: Yes; paved pull-outs sit within 30 m of both Bridge 495A and the 15th Street overlook, and the resort rents lightweight transport chairs if you’d rather roll the short distance than walk on the gravel pad.
Q: How crowded does it get, and when is the quietest time?
A: Weekends between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. draw families and cyclists, but Tuesday through Thursday mornings before the first train whistle (around 9 a.m.) you’ll often have the river soundtrack all to yourself.
Q: Can I reach the bridges without a car from downtown Durango?
A: Yes—City Bus #3 stops two blocks from the Swinging Footbridge for USD 1 (cash) and the Animas River Trail then leads you north 4 km to the other spans and another 3 km to Junction West if you choose to camp.
Q: How much is a night at Junction West for tenters or big-rig RVs?
A: Riverside tent sites start at USD 25 (≈ 23 €) per night and include hot showers and lockers; pull-through RV pads up to 40 ft/12 m run USD 58–65 with 50-amp hookups, free dump station, and space to keep your toad attached.
Q: Do you have a downloadable map or scavenger hunt sheet?
A: A printable PDF with the 6-mile map, bridge trivia, and kid-friendly clue boxes is linked via QR codes on every resort bulletin board and can be grabbed in advance from JunctionWestDurango.com/bridge-map.
Q: Is fishing or swimming allowed near the bridges?
A: Catch-and-release trout fishing is legal with a Colorado license, but swimming is discouraged because dam-release surges can jack flows from 30 to 150 m³/s without warning; wade no deeper than knee level and always face upstream.
Q: Are there guided tours, or is this strictly self-guided?
A: Most guests do the loop self-guided using the QR audio bites, but the resort partners with the Railroad Museum for a docent-led “Iron & Timber” walk every first Wednesday at 9 a.m.—sign up at the front desk the night before.
Q: What should we do if the river is running high or a thunderstorm rolls in?
A: If USGS gauges top 5,000 cfs or lightning is within 10 mi/16 km, simply pivot to the indoor Durango & Silverton museum, grab hot cocoa downtown, and wait it out; the bridges aren’t going anywhere, and soggy shoes never make for happy campers.
