St. John's Bridge, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier from the viewpoint, Ridge Trail, Forest Park (bobcat)

• Hikes to this destination:
  • Tolinda-Ridge Trail Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.58251, -122.76849
• Elevation: 250 feet

Description

A small wooden platform/footbridge on the Ridge Trail offers this view of one of Oregon's most striking bridges. The green painted Gothic structure connects the shoreline neighborhoods of Linnton and St. John's. Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier are both visible from here on a clear day. Below the footbridge to the south is the old railed viewing platform with steps leading down to Bridge Avenue. This viewpoint is no longer functional as a screen of maples has grown up obscuring views of the St. John's Bridge.

At its dedication in 1931, the St. John's was the longest suspension bridge west of the Mississippi. Designed by New York bridge engineer David B. Steinman, the steel cable central span is 1,207 feet long with two 400-foot towers. Each tower is capped by two 50-foot spires. The entire bridge is 3,834 feet long.

The bridge replaced the last Portland ferry on the Willamette. At the time of its construction, there was a humming industrial area on the St. John's side of the river; now it sees about 23,000 vehicles a day of mostly commuter traffic.

More Links

• Willamette River (St. Johns) Bridge (State of Oregon links)
• St. Johns Bridge (Wikipedia)
• "Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge, Oregon" (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)
• "St. Johns Bridge has evolved into an iconic Portland symbol: 'Spanning Oregon'" (Oregon Live)

Contributors

• bobcat (creator)