Boulder Bridge, Historic arch bridge in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.
Boulder Bridge is an arch structure spanning Rock Creek with reinforced concrete faced with large fieldstones gathered from outside the park. The bridge connects both sides of the stream and measures approximately 60 feet (18 meters) in length with a distinctive appearance created by its stone cladding.
Built in 1902, the bridge was one of the earliest infrastructure projects in Rock Creek Park, constructed long before the National Park Service took over the area. It represented an early effort to develop the park's pathways and crossing points for visitors.
The bridge shows how early twentieth-century builders tried to blend human-made structures with natural surroundings in public parks. Its design demonstrates the thinking of that era about how infrastructure could work within a landscape rather than dominate it.
The bridge can be reached from multiple park entry points, with the Nature Center parking area and nearby picnic areas providing the easiest approach. The crossing itself is straightforward, though the surrounding paths can vary in width and condition depending on the season and recent maintenance.
The fieldstones used for the bridge's cladding were sourced from outside the park, a building choice that reflects how materials were transported from various locations during that era. Just upstream sits the former location of a nineteenth-century mill that once processed grain for the surrounding communities.
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