Have A Picnic Under This Historic Wyoming Bridge

Wyoming has some wonderful places to have a picnic.

Obviously, it's WYOMING after all!

How about lunch under some old, historic bridge?

This is not a bad spot. It's in the shade, near a river.

There are cool temperatures and plenty of things for the kids to do. There is even good fishing for those interested.

Who thought to put a picnic table here?

I'm not complaining. It's a fine idea.

This bridge comes with a lot of history.

The traditional method of crossing the North Platte, after the often-disastrous wet crossings by early emigrants, was by a precarious Government-operated ferry.

Recognizing how much their prosperity depended upon freighting contracts to supply new camps and agencies north of the Platte, and disturbed by competition from a new road north from Sidney, Nebraska (with a timber bridge near Courthouse Rock), Cheyenne business interests agitated for a proper bridge at Fort Laramie.

Congress passed a bill in January 1874, authorizing money, and the bridge was finished in 1875.

It was used for both civilian and military traffic.

The picture above is of a historic marker on the south side of the bridge.

There is a parking area there with access to the picnic table.

To find this bridge just look up Fort Laramie, Wyoming, which is worth a day trip in itself.

You'll pass through the town of Fort Laramie. Just a short distance down the road you'll see the bridge as you cross over today's modern bridge.

The modern bridge doesn't look anywhere near as nice.

Drive over the river and park on the other side.

You are sure to enjoy the river, the trees, the wildlife, and the sounds of the wood under your feet as you walk from one end to the other.

Take some time to marvel at the metalwork and engineering techniques used to construct this bridge, which still stands today.

The river below is wide, and you'll see where, at times, it can get a lot wider.

The picnic table can actually be flooded out during some years.

This is not the only weird picnic site in Wyoming.

Keep your eyes open for some in the weirdest possible places.