Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

This is one cool old bridge. We happened to be riding the North Riverfront Trail and it ended up being the Eagle Day Festival. People everywhere, but not so many eagles. You can bike or walk across this bridge. We got entered on the Missouri side and ended up on the Illinois side.

I’m sure every St. Louisan has driven on I-​270 at some point, crossing from IL to MO (or vice versa) and spotting this old rusty bridge in the distance. I finally made a stop here and walked the short one mile across the bridge. The view of the water intake towers from middle of the bridge is amazing. The bridge is closed to traffic but open to pedestrians and bicycles. This is well worth a stop especially if you are into photographing «old things with character». My recommendation is to park on the Illinois side and leave all belongs out of sight. We went on a weekend afternoon and didn’t feel unsafe. There were sporadic groups of hikers/​bicyclists passing us.

Awesome hike. We parked on the Illinois side. Was a little nervous b/​c at times there are car break ins. We had no problems however. There’s a cool Route 66 sign and an old car on the bridge. You can also see the 2 old water intake «castles» on the way. Really cool to just watch all the water rushing underneath you.

Crossing from Illinois to Missouri, not a bad view at night, sun setting is like a painting.

I am amazed that Unilocal doesn’t have a listing for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River just North of St. Louis until now. This historic span which is on the National Register of Historic Places is significant for several reasons, but the one that stands out and everyone notices is the 30 degree bend in the span on the Missouri side of the river. The bridge is closed to traffic today but imagine being in a car as a large truck tried to negotiate the curve. You quickly understand why the new I-​270 bridge was built just to the North. While the bridge no longer sees vehicle traffic thanks to a lot of volunteers and others with an interest in historic preservation the span is open for anyone to walk or ride a bike across. The bridge is a mile long, and it is a walk that is unforgettable. By the way if you do walk the bridge, the little miniature castle like structures in the water to the South of the bridge are water intakes for the City of St. Louis.
If you are a fan of historic structures, Route 66, bike trails, or just off the beaten path unusual experiences this is one place you absolutely must visit.
Note: While parking and access are free, be safe and lock your vehicle and secure all valuables out of site. Also bring water as you’ll want to walk the whole thing but that walk back can get mighty dry despite the millions of gallons of water rushing underneath you.
5 Stars, without any reservation or hesitation. I have to place the Chain of Rocks Bridge on my «The Mythical 6^th Star» list as I absolutely love the bridge and enjoy it every time I get to walk or ride across it.