Discover The World’s Largest Wooden Trestle Bridge

Bridges are interesting and amazing engineering feats. They allow people to travel over canyons and rivers, and even parts of the mighty ocean. These structures are growing stronger and more durable every generation, handling greater weights and lasting longer.

However, that doesn’t mean that old bridges were poorly built or weak. There are bridges from centuries ago, still standing. While the largest wooden trestle in the world isn’t all that old, it’s still quite an impressive sight, and sure to stick around for a few more generations at least.

What Is the Largest Wooden Trestle in the World?

The largest wooden trestle in the world is the Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge. This trestle measures 633 feet in length and 185 feet in height. It’s just one part of a project often referred to as ‘The Impossible Railroad.’ The real name was the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway.

While most trestles are now made of metal, the Goat Canyon Trestle was made with wood. This decision was due to the heavy temperature fluctuations known to happen in the surrounding gorge. Wood, especially the redwood used in this construction, handled fluctuating temperatures much better than metal could over the years.

The company in charge of the trestle was quick to brag about its magnificence. To be fair, the engineers made sure to take many precautionary measures. For example, wood was great for the fluctuating temperatures, but led to a huge fire risk in the desert. A spark from the train of a locomotive could set the whole thing ablaze.

To combat this worry, an extensive system of water pipes and valves ran through the trestle. There was also a fire engine ready to go specially to handle the bridge in case it caught fire. The engineers even took into account how windy the valley was. To make sure the bridge never took the full brunt of the wind, the bridge was made with a 14-degree curve.

The trestle was built in 1932 and completed in 1933. Despite its age and no recent repairs of the trestle, it remains in relatively great shape.

Where Is it Located?

Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge is in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It’s in the southern portion of the park, just 15 miles north of the Mexico border.

While you can get near the bridge from a few different hiking trails, walking on the bridge is strictly prohibited. It’s still private property, and the owners do not want anyone on the bridge at any point.

While it’s legal to walk to the bridge, it isn’t an easy trail. If you go from Montero Palms, which is the most legal and easiest hiking option, it’s a six-mile hike with an elevation gain of over 2,000 feet. There’s a bit of an established trail, for people going to see the bridge, but it’s not easy or safe. Sometimes you’ll have to try and crawl up or down rocks and ravines to get to the bridge.

There’s also little to no shade in the area. It’s a good idea to bring lots of sunscreen and water, as well as other essential hiking gear. This is a hike you need to be prepared for and not one to take on a whim.

History of Goat Canyon Trestle

The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway was first started in 1907 and completed in 1919. It was called ‘The Impossible Railway’ due to the numerous challenges involved in creating the railway.

Some of the difficulties included the extreme temperatures, flash floods, and the challenges of drilling around 20 tunnels through the mountains. Despite all the challenges, the engineers managed to establish a route that stretched 146 miles from San Diego to El Centro.

Unfortunately, Tunnels 7 and 15 of the railway collapsed in 1932 due to a rock slide. Tunnel 7 was fixed with a bypass route. To circumvent the now-unusable section of the railway that was Tunnel 15, the Goat Canyon Trestle was built. It solved the problem for a while and let the railway continue operating.

A series of financial hardships, discontinued units, and the declining popularity of the railroad caused a lot of problems. Other trestles on the line were washed away by floods and rock slides. Then, in 1976, when Hurricane Kathleen went through the area, the final blow was dealt.

Hurricane Kathleen didn’t affect all of the railway, including the Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge, but it did enough damage to other parts of the route to halt its use. Instead of spending millions to fix it, the owners of the railway sold it. Further damages, legal violations, and other concerns led to the shutdown of parts of the railway, including where the Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge rests.

Animals Near Goat Canyon Trestle

Goat Caynon Trestle Bridge is inside Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Near the bridge, and on the hike to get there, you’ll come across all sorts of animals.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Bighorn sheep are one of the animals you’ll see, specifically, a subspecies known as peninsular bighorn sheep or desert bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni. They’re federally endangered as of 1998, but you’re still able to see them throughout the park. They prefer to stay near sources of water, but they do spread out and explore most of the park below 3,500 feet in elevation.

Mule Deer

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are another species you’ll find wandering around the desert. They like higher elevations. Generally, they’re most active at dawn and dust. On occasion though, you’ll find them relaxing somewhere during the day.

Coyote

Coyotes (Canis latrans) spend their time tracking prey throughout the state part. They’re most active at night, but they do enjoy exploring and playing during the cooler hours of the day.

Jackrabbit and Cottontail

If you keep your eyes on the ground and under scrub, you might encounter a black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) or a desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii). They’re easy to mix up, but there are some differences between them.

The black-tailed jackrabbit has long, large ears. They also have long legs, especially their back legs. Additionally, their tail tends to stick out more and be darker in color than that of a cottontail.

These jackrabbits are found wandering through the desert, especially around trees and shrubs. They will often be in the shade until the temperatures cool down. But if they get startled, they won’t hesitate to run away at speeds close to 30 miles per hour.

The desert cottontail, on the other hand, is a smaller creature. Though it still has large ears, they’re much smaller than those of a jackrabbit. Their legs are short, and they often stay low to the ground. However, most notably, their tail is bright and white, like a ball of cotton.

They move around in similar circles to the jackrabbit. They are most active during the morning and late afternoon when the temperatures drop a little.

Antelope Squirrel

If you’re out during the hottest part of the day, which is not recommended, there are some animals that you’ll see wandering around with you. The most adorable one is the antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii). despite their name, they look more like chipmunks or prairie dogs.

Even during the hottest parts of the day, you’ll see them running from bush to bush, their tails flipped over their back. When they get too hot, they’ll find a shady spot on the ground, and sprawl out on their belly with their legs stretched out as far as possible.

Other Things to Do Near Goat Canyon Trestle

It’s a long drive and walk just to see the Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge. While it’s worth the trip, you might as well make the most of it by visiting some of the other sites in the area.

Thankfully, the trestle is inside of a state park. There’s plenty else to do and see in and around the park.

Coyote’s Flying Saucer Retrievals and Repairs

While driving through the desert, you’ve probably thought about how the land looks a lot like an alien wasteland. You’re not the only one to think so. If you pass through Ocotillo, you’re sure to see your thoughts mirrored.

The whole area screams “alien” with large colorful lights, sketches of aliens, and even UFO-like vehicles driving around on the roads. The owner of such a vehicle is known as Coyote and he owns Coyote’s Flying Saucer Retrievals and Repairs Service.

As the name suggests, it’s a junkyard for aliens. There you’ll see life-sized UFOs and various signs directed at aliens. Some nights, Coyote even projects movies onto a large rock on his property.

If you’re nice, and Coyote isn’t busy, he might even take you out on one of his drivable ships.

Anza Borrego Desert View Tower

The view tower for the park is on Interstate 8 in Boulder Park. The tower took several years to build, starting in 1922. It was finished in 1928. It’s a good place to stop, especially if your car is risking overheating.

While the tower was only built in the 1920s, the area has a longer history. The area was used often by travelers in the 1800s. If you look around the area, you may find rocks with carvings and notes left by those passing during the time.

The tower was used during World War II to make sure that no enemies crept into America via Mexico. The tower is no longer used for such a purpose, but there is border patrol nearby now that makes sure that no one crosses the border without permission.

Now, the museum is used as a viewing point. From the tower, you can see the surrounding desert, wildlife, and plants. You may also see some rather interesting carvings.

There are carvings of Indians, lions, and lizards in the rocks around the tower. These carvings came from a man named W.T. Ratcliffe, an engineer who decided to make the most of his unemployment during the Great Depression.

Inside the tower, there’s a little museum and gift shop. The design and decoration haven’t changed since the tower was first built, letting you step inside the 1920s.