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COVERED WOODEN BRIDGE OF KNIGHTS FERRY
River Rafting and Picnic at Gold Rush River Historic Site
Forget
the Bridges of Madison County, why go to Wisconson? The longest and
one of the oldest authentic covered bridge
west
of the Mississippi River is in
California. The Knights Ferry bridge in Stanislaus county, off of Highway
108/120 on the way to Yosemite National Park or the Sonora Pass had been
a unique sight in the golden hills spanning the Stanislaus River since
1863. In the gold rush era, Knights Ferry crossing on road from the the
port at Stockton to Sonora in the gold Mother Load (see ). First a ferry
boat crossing then later a bridge purportedly designed by Ulysses S.
Grant when only an Army Captain (see Murphys
Historic Hotel).
The first bridge was washed away along with most of the town of Knights
Ferry in 1862. The current wooden bridge structure, longer than a football
field, carried traffic until 1981 and 
other
than some repairs and minor modifications has remained unchanged for
140 years. When the railroad
bypassed the town, stopping in Oakdale instead (See Oakdale
- Gourmet Cowboy Country)
and later when the highway was constructed following the old stage road,
the bridge and the town of Knights Ferry fell into near ghost town status,
but has remained a quiet bucolic watering hole, retaining
much of its old west charm.
The Knights Ferry covered bridge is now maintained by the US Army Corp of Engineers as part of the Stanislaus River Parks. Free scenic picnic areas lie within sight of the bridge under the trees along the banks of the Stanislaus River and is the launch point for Stanislaus River rafting trips. This section of the river is for mild class rafting adventures, perfect for families and less than 2 hours from the Bay Area. Two companies offer rafting, River Journey 1-800-292-2938 and Sunshine Raft Adventures 1-800-829-7238.
Portions of the mill which stood
beside the bridge and other original buildings of the old gold rush
period remain. The mill is part of the
river park while many of the buildings of the town of Knights Ferry are
from the 1850-1860s. The Army Corps of Engineers Information and Visitors
Center contains a small museum about the local area. Admission to the
Stanislaus River Park is free, but no camping. Watch for the turn-off
sign on Highway 120/108 about 12 miles east of Oakdale. © Bargain
Travel West
Find the best deals, compare prices in Oakdale
River Rafting
River Journey
Sunshine Raft Adventures
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