On our most recent road trip, my family decided to stop in Columbus Junction, which is located on the Iowa River in southeastern Iowa.
Armed with the travel guide “Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places” by Lori Erickson and Tracy Stuhr, a recent find from a local second-hand store, our family embarked on a new adventure. This particular guide, written by two Iowan authors, roused my interest, and I couldn't resist adding it to my collection.
For the last year, we have traveled frequently through Southeastern Iowa because we
made the insane decision to purchase a vacation rental in the magical Shawnee National Forest
in southern Illinois. This opened up more opportunities for us to travel through different parts of
Iowa, which we had spent little time in before.
Our journey was initially set for Hannibal, Missouri, but a detour was in order when we
stumbled upon a fascinating entry in our travel guide. The words ‘Swinging Bridge' caught our
attention, describing a 262-foot suspension bridge made of steel cables and wooden boards.
Intrigued, we spontaneously stopped in Columbus Junction to experience this unique attraction.
This impressive feature has been rebuilt several times since its construction in 1886. The
bridge's primary use was to help contact the citizens living on the southeast side of the ravine
with ‘Downton’ Columbus Junction. Before the walking bridge was constructed, people
had to walk around the ravine that sliced through the landscape.
Braving swarms of mosquitos, we parked off of Oak Street and continued on foot to the
bridge. My fearless six-year-old took off at high speed when he realized what adventure was
ahead of him. My husband, Joe, proceeded directly behind him at his leisure pace, and I felt like
jelly as soon as my feet touched the bridge. Having a deep fear of heights, I took my time
walking across. In truth, the bouncing of the suspension bridge made me feel more
uncomfortable than the height from the ground.
On the other side is a lovely park, which can also be reached by another route directly
through the ravine, the Possum Hollow Trail, which leads back to the parking lot on Oak Street.
The park includes a Monarch Butterfly Garden, picnic tables, a fire pit, and benches to rest at
Leisure.
The historic bridge has been closed and rebuilt a few times in the last 138 years. In
1920, eighteen years after being reconstructed for the first time, the bridge collapsed while two
men attempted to cross. An interesting fact that I learned was that both men were still standing
when the bridge landed at the bottom of the ravine. Two years later, the community raised
enough money to have an engineer from Iowa City design and reconstruct a sturdier bridge, which is still in place today.
During our visit, it was clear that this is an important gem to the Columbus Junction community. The area is well maintained, and its uniquely inviting atmosphere draws one in and,
for this author, compelled me to dig deeper into its story. Overall, it is a splendid addition to my list of Unique Finds in Iowa.
