Kinzua Bridge State Park
Walk an engineering landmark above the gorge that reclaimed part of its giant steel span.
Artwork inspired by John Sloan
The Kinzua Viaduct once carried trains across a deep northern Pennsylvania gorge. A tornado toppled much of its steel structure in 2003, leaving a dramatic standing section and collapsed towers below. The surviving span became a pedestrian skywalk, turning a story of industrial ambition into one about weather, structural failure, and adaptation. From the visitor center, compare the intact lattice with the fallen metal visible in the valley.
A multi-year rehabilitation can close the skywalk and Kinzua Creek Trail, so never assume the glass-ended walk is open. Observation decks, visitor-center exhibits, and other park trails may still give a meaningful visit. Check the park's current alert before making the drive, especially in poor weather or outside peak season. The downed-tower area itself is off-limits.
- Tornado
- 2003
- Standing span
- About 600 feet
- Park
- 339 acres
Quick guide
- Start indoors
- Visitor-center exhibits explain the trestle's engineering and the 2003 tornado.
- Look across the gorge
- Compare standing lattice towers with the collapsed section below.
Know before you go
- Start indoors
- Visitor-center exhibits explain the trestle's engineering and the 2003 tornado.
- Look across the gorge
- Compare standing lattice towers with the collapsed section below.
- Check access first
- The skywalk and creek trail can close during the multi-year rehabilitation.
- Respect barriers
- Do not walk beneath the span or among the fallen towers.
Good to know
The skywalk is not reliably open during rehabilitation; verify the official alert before traveling for that specific experience.
Notice these
- A viaduct interrupted by a tornado
- Look across the gorge
- 339 acres