Photos of No Hands Bridge
About No Hands Bridge
No Hands Bridge is a soaring concrete arch bridge sitting down in the canyon just below where the North and Middle Forks of the American River come together. It was originally built in 1912 to haul limestone out of the quarry at Cool to the railhead in Auburn. Oddly the deck sat bare for decades before anybody added any railings. It was the longest concrete arch bridge in the world when it opened. It's pale grey arches stretch out across the canyon high above the water, plain but heavy feeling and fit in perfectly with the rocky ground around it. The quarry has long closed, now it's a used solely as a trail crossing as part of the Western States Trail and the route out to Calcutta Falls, plus once a year endurance riders of the Tevis Cup take their horses over it. Walking out onto the bridge deck gives you the perfect spot to experiment with capturing the view looking out over the canyon in either direction. There is a small trail that lets you wind down to the riverbank so you can shoot up through the arches with the canyon wall behind or explore the riverbank looking for just the right view as the arches soar over the canyon. Spring gives you green hillsides and faster water. Later in the year the water becomes much clear and slow enough to give you reflections. Parking can be tricky, there aren't many spots and the little parking fills fast, so its best to aim to get here early in the day or on a weekday. (Auburn, California, United States)
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