Swinging Bridge

Swinging Bridge is a footbridge crossing the Merced River near Yosemite Valley Lodge in California. From its platform, visitors see Yosemite Falls and Sentinel Rock, two of the valley's most recognizable features.

The original structure before 1965 swayed side to side over the water, requiring visitors to hold tightly to the railings. The modern reinforced design was developed to withstand extreme conditions, including the severe floods of 1997.

The bridge serves as a favored location for wedding ceremonies, where couples express their connection with Yosemite National Park's natural landscape. Visitors often pause here to feel the significance of this place as a setting for human bonds within wilderness.

The crossing is accessible to pedestrians of all ability levels and offers an easy path over the river throughout the year. Visitors should note that views are best in early morning or late afternoon when lighting is most favorable.

The bridge takes its name from the original swaying motion of the earlier structure that moved back and forth like a swing. Today visitors can still sense a subtle echo of that historical movement when they cross the modern bridge.