I love historic bridges and try to visit them any chance I get when I’m traveling around my home state of Arkansas.
I recently drove across the historic Sylamore Creek Swinging Bridge!
The Sylamore Creek Bridge (Sylamore Swinging Bridge)
This bridge is one of only two cable suspension bridges left in Arkansas that allow vehicular traffic.
The other is the Beaver Bridge, also known as the Little Golden Gate Bridge of Arkansas.
Location of the Sylamore Swinging Bridge
The Sylamore Creek Swinging Bridge is located near located near Mountain View in the small community of Allison, Arkansas.
It did not show up on our GPS, but you can’t find it you can put in the Angler’s White River Resort which will get you very close.
The turn is off of highway 14 onto Swinging Bridge Road. You will be on a dirt road for a short period of time.
If you want somewhere good to eat after visiting the bridge check out nearby JoJo’s Catfish Wharf!
The Beginnings of the Sylamore Creek Bridge
The Sylamore Creek Bridge is an historic wire-cable suspension bridge spanning over 200 feet across Sylamore Creek.
It was originally built in 1914 and was part of the first road built through the Ozark National Forest called the Big Flat-Sylamore Road.
This was a huge project at the time and was led by superintendent Ralph Huey. The cable for the bridge weighed over 4,000 pounds and was hauled to the bridge location from the railroad on a horse drawn wagon!
The route was eventually designated as part of State Highway 14 and in 1945 the bridge was rebuilt by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to meet new state guidelines.
The put in new steel towers and beams, but were able to reuse the original steel cable.
This bridge was the primary route across the creek until as late as the 1970s! This is when a modern bridge was built at the Highways 5, 9, and 14 junction at Allison.Â
After the Flood
Although the bridge was built to rise and fall with the movement of high water, a catastrophic flood in 1982 proved to be too much for the structure.
Huge amounts of rain fell in a short period of time and the debris flowing down Sylamore Creek as well as pressure from the White River destroyed most of the bridge.
Incredibly, the original concrete anchors set in 1914 and the original steel cable survived.
Even though it was no longer an important route the bridge was restored because of its historical significance.
It was reconstructed following the exact blueprints from the 1940’s. They even used the original abutments and steel cables.
There was a smaller renovation of the wooden portions of the bridge in 2015.
A Place for the Community
After the building of the bridge it became a gathering place for the community; a swimming hole, a place for baptisms, and a spot to picnic.
There is still a gravel and sand beach beneath the bridge. However, I have been told that this is owned by the Angler’s campground and that you have to pay a fee to get access to the creek at this spot.
Somebody let me know if this is true!
The day we visited we saw people swimming, jumping off a rope swing, and picnicking on the beach near the bridge.
In the past people would jump off of the bridge into the water below. However, the creek used to be deeper at that spot so do NOT try that today.
Bridge Statistics
- 202 feet long
- 19′ 6″ wide
- Clearance height of 11 feet
- Carries County Road 283 across Sylamore Creek
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999
- wire-cable suspension bridge, with steel towers mounted on concrete piers supporting four main cables that are anchored into concrete abutments.
The Bridge Today
These days the bridge is more of a tourist attraction.
It no longer “swings” as much as it once did, but you can still drive across and see the huge supporting cables and enjoy the pretty view of the creek.
To drive across is to experience a bit of Arkansas history.
Thanks for stopping by!
