Historic Rock Run Road Bridge & Sones Pond in Loyalsock State Forest, Near Worlds End State Park

The area around Worlds End State Park is just phenomenal. I was struck off guard though on this visit heading up to the beautiful Sones Pond. It was every bit as beautiful as I was told it was, but what really caught me was the stunning wrought iron bridge crossing the Loyalsock Creek in Loyalsock State Forest. 

This ornate metal bridge is spectacular and beautifully adorned. It is one of only five remaining bridges from the Horseheads Bridge Company, which operated in nearby Horseheads, NY. It was a different style than I had seen before. 

This 125 foot long bridge dates back to 1896 and is a Platt Thru Truss design in Wyoming State Forest. It is one of only five known remaining bridges made by this company. For more technical info on this bridge, check out my favorite place to learn about historic bridges at historicbridges.org

The human produced beauty of the bridge fits perfectly within the beautiful PA creek landscape that is filled with groves of hemlocks and other native trees.

I love a covered bridge as much as anyone, but these iron bridges are just incredible. They each have a distinct style and the fact that they have survived this long is pretty incredible. They are not able to be refitted as easily as a covered bridge, both in re fabricating the structure and in stabilizing enough for modern use. The only ways these bridges typically go on is through being bypassed, being taken down and reassembled elsewhere, repurposed into pedestrian only bridges, or in the case of this bridge, being located in a very remote spot that does not have the modern traffic demands needed to force replacement. This instance is the case here. It only leads up to a small pond, Sones Pond, which is beautiful and serene. 

The setting of this bridge is spectacular as well, crossing over Loyalsock Creek in a very rural spot. The fine attention to ornate detail in this bridge is further brought out in the beauty of the nature surrounding it. Of all of the spectacular things we saw on this trip to Worlds End and the surrounding area, this was probably my favorite thing, which says a lot, considering how spectacular this area is. 

The road that the bridge carries takes you up to Sone's Pond, a beautiful mountain pond that seems to be popular year round, with non-motorized boaters seeking it out, along with people that fish, hikers, picnickers, and ice fishers in the winter. It is one of the most tranquil settings for a pond or small lake in the state. 

We highly recommend checking out the Endless Mountains region, and touring around to see all of the beauty that surrounds Worlds End State Park and Ricketts Glen State Park.