The Patapsco Swinging Bridge is 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, Baltimore, Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It ...

in central

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is a

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 ...

consisting 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 The Patapsco Valley is a small valley surrounding the Patapsco River in central Maryland. The region is known for its historical significance as a major economic and industrial center in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Geography The Pa ...

has a history of "swinging" bridges built for pedestrian travel from one side of the

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

to the other. The Orange Grove

Flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

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. It ...

, 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 The Grist Mill Trail is a 5.0 mile long hiking and biking trail located in Patapsco Valley State Park in the Baltimore County side of the Patapsco Valley near Catonsville, Maryland. The paved pathway runs parallel to the Baltimore and Ohio Railro ...

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 Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...

Catonsville Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...

and other upstream communities for the first time since

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the 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, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

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

Grist Mill Trail Bridge

See also