Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge
The Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge is a steel suspension footbridge over the Kootenai River, just downstream of Kootenai Falls in Lincoln County, Montana. Its narrow deck hangs from cables between two towers and sways as walkers cross. The bridge carries pedestrians and bicycles, linking the Highway 2 trailhead with the far bank.
The original bridge was built by the Forest Service to access fire control areas, but a major flood in 1984 destroyed it. The current reinforced structure was rebuilt afterward and remains in use today.
The Kootenai River and the falls are part of the traditional territory of the Kootenai (Ktunaxa) people, whose name for themselves is Ktunaxa. The falls lie within the aboriginal homeland of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. Visitors can see the river's role in the tribes' fishing and travel routes.
A short hiking trail from the Highway 2 parking area leads to the bridge in just a few minutes. The crossing itself is safe for visitors of most fitness levels, though the walkway can feel bouncy underfoot.
The 1994 film The River Wild, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, shot its whitewater sequences at Kootenai Falls, and the swinging bridge appears in the footage above the rapids. Visitors standing mid-span look down on the same stretch of water used for those scenes.
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