Cedar Falls Bent Bridge

Cedar Falls Bent Bridge. . In January of 1998 something happened here at Hocking State Park which only occurs roughly every 100 years, a flood of massive proportions! As the water ripped its way through the gorge it destroyed and removed almost all of structures while continuing its never ending work of carving surrounding sandstone. When this bridge was rebuilt the decision was made to reuse the main “bent” steel girders as a reminder of what will come again someday. The bridge, is actually a great example of how entire place was formed. , As the diagram below depicts, most of the exciting geology that occurs throughout the park are direct results of water and wind carving away the sandstone cliff faces. Here in the park our sandstone has a much softer middle layer, which is often carved out first leaving behind a hard top and bottom. This process is called sapping and often leaves behind hollowed out areas known as recess caves. Look for the many large or small slump blocks that litter the floor of the gorge. These large boulders are direct evidence of geology in action. , Many rare and unusual plants live in the gorge due to its cooler, moist nature. For the sake of these species and for your own safety we ask that you stay on the constructed trails at all times.