Jay Cooke State Park’s Swinging Bridge Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary

CARLTON, Minn. — The Swinging Bridge at Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

The bridge has been a landmark for people to explore the outdoors and make memories throughout the years. Park staff spoke on Wednesday about the history of the well-known bridge. There have been five versions over time. Its last rebuild was after the flood of 2012. But perhaps the most interesting piece of information is how the bridge got its name.

“In 1924 the bridge opened up. It was just announced as a foot bridge. And a couple years after that it started getting the name the swinging bridge. So, the original swinging bridge from (19)24 to (19)34 was really that swinging bridge. It was just a suspended walkway about 18 feet above the surface of the river and it looked pretty scary. There actually was a sign on it that said no running, no jumping, no more than 5 people at a time allowed,” said Kristine Hiller, Park Naturalist at Jay Cooke State Park.

In 2023, the Minnesota legislature and Governor Walz approved close to $150 million to invest in outdoor recreation. $34 million will be for accessibility improvements.

“One exciting thing is the Track Chair Initiative. We’ve had track chairs which are basically off-road mobility devices for people that want to get out and experience the trails. We’ve had them in a few state parks, but this initiative allows more to be added including one that will be placed at Jay Cooke State Park. We expect to have that here by 2025,” said Lisa Angelos, Park Manager at Jay Cooke State Park.

The main celebration of the Swinging Bridge takes place this Saturday. That is also Free Park Day in Minnesota.