Suspension Bridge, Wilderness Trail – Built in 1959-1960 (completed September 1960), the 180-foot long suspension bridge along the Wilderness Trail crossed the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River in New Hampshire's 45,000-acre federally designated Pemigewasset Wilderness. The Wilderness Trail utilizes the railroad bed of the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (1893-1948), and after railroad operations came to an end, the suspension bridge was built to replace trestle No. 17; before the bridge was built, hikers used the railroad trestle to cross the river.

The suspension bridge was roughly 25 feet above the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River; it offered a great view of the river. But like most wooden structures subject to the elements, as the years went by, parts of the bridge began to rot.

During the winter of 1960/1961, high winds caused the bridge to swing recklessly back and forth, which knocked the bridge out of alignment. Luckily, the problem was discovered before the bridge collapsed. The bridge was re-aligned onto the abutments, and sway cables were installed.

In 2009, the Forest Service proposed to remove the suspension bridge. The main reason for the proposal was because the bridge had become a safety issue; the boards were rotten, and near the end of its existence, it had a two-person weight limit. The proposal also included the removal of the steel beam bridge that crossed Black Brook (Bear Brook on older maps), near the former junction of the Wilderness Trail and Bondcliff Trail.

There was nothing wrong with the Black Brook Bridge (above). But if the suspension bridge was removed, the 0.7 miles of the Wilderness Trail between the two bridges would see a decrease in foot traffic. Removing the Black Brook Bridge during this project would help in rewilding the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

The National Wilderness Preservation System and the Wilderness Act of 1964, which have strict guidelines when it comes to human-made structures in federally designated wilderness areas, govern the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The purpose of the Wilderness Act is to limit human influence and to keep designated wilderness areas “wild”. Rebuilding the suspension bridge would have violated the Wilderness Act.

Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 defines Wilderness in this way ”A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value."

The suspension bridge quickly became the topic of discussion throughout the New England hiking community. Wilderness advocates supported the bridge removal project, while the anti-wilderness advocates used the opportunity to attack the Forest Service for one thing or another. The opinions of many outdoor enthusiasts fell somewhere in between the supporters and non-supporters. In the end, the values of the Wilderness Act were honored, and it was decided to dismantle both bridges without replacement.

By late 2009, the suspension bridge was dismantled, and the debris was stored on the southern side of the bridge crossing (above). The steel beam bridge over Black Brook was dismantled in 2010, cut into pieces, and slowly removed out of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The section of the Wilderness Trail in between the two bridges was also closed. And the section of the Wilderness Trail from Franconia Brook to its former junction with the Bondcliff Trail became part of the Bondcliff Trail.

Over the next few years, various volunteer groups removed the bridge debris. Per the Wilderness Act, only hand tools and non-motorized equipment can be used in designated wilderness areas – only human or animal power could be used to remove the bridge debris (pictured above in 2011). In March 2011, the Plymouth State College Adventure Education Club spent a weekend removing roughly 1,000 pounds of the suspension bridge debris out of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

By June 2012 (above), progress was noticeable, and all of the wooden bridge beams had been cut into manageable sizes. Because this area of the Pemigewasset Wilderness is a popular backcountry camping area, pieces of the bridge debris wound up at campsites and were burned in campfires. It must have smelled awful!

Removing the bridge debris was a slow process, but by November 2013 (above), all the suspension bridge debris was out of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The bridge removal project was finally complete.

Pictured above is where the 180-foot long suspension bridge crossed the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River. The bridge has been gone well over a decade, and most hikers passing through this area are unaware of the bridge's existence and story.

After the suspension and steel beam bridges were removed, the Thoreau Falls Trail Bridge, which crossed the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River at North Fork Junction in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, was put into the limelight. Built around the same time as the suspension bridge, the Thoreau Falls Trail Bridge also became a safety issue. After numerous delays, the Forest Service, staying true to wilderness values, removed it without replacement in 2018/2019.

Removing these three bridges may seem counterproductive, but the intent of the Wilderness Act is to preserve the "wild" character of a designated wilderness area. The Pemigewasset Wilderness is now a little wilder.

Happy image making..

© Erin Paul Donovan. All rights reserved | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History
To license any of the photographs above for usage in print publications, click on the photograph.

Bibliography:
Sutherland, Kenneth. “New Bridge in the Pemi.” Appalachia, Vol XXXIII, No. 3, June 1961, pp. 403-404.

Wheeler, Gerald, S. “News from the White Mountain National Forest.” Appalachia, Vol XXXIII, No.2, December 1960, pp. 274-275.

Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.