Are You Brave Enough To Cross This Bridge To Nowhere In Southern Wisconsin?
If you head 90 minutes southwest of Madison, Wisconsin, you'll eventually hit Richland County. It's in Richland where you'll find Pier Park and one of the more peculiar trails you'll ever see.
The nearly 10-acre Pier Natural Bridge Park was donated to Richland County by the Pier family so the public could enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
The property is highlighted by a very unusual geological feature. Nearly a half-mile long "finger" of sandstone jutting up out of the ground nearly 60 feet in the center of the park.
The entire finger is covered with trees and shrubs. It can be hiked and climbed all over, affording some spectacular views from the top.
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Two small rivers also converge at this park and their flow disappears beneath the sandstone feature. A man-made tunnel was built through the rock and a bridge was constructed that appears to simply extend into an infinite black void. Honestly, if you didn't know what was on the other side of that darkness, it probably would be a pretty scary adventure to walk through there.
There are a limited number of campsites at the park, first come first serve, as well as shelters and picnic areas for day trips.
A handful of historical markers indicate important sites within the park, one of them acknowledges the importance of the Blackhawk Indians to the area, another points out a unique rock formation.
The panoramic views this hike affords is worth the drive all itself. Besides, don't you need a selfie in front of that dark tunnel? Just think of the likes.