The
Beaver Creek Bridge is located 2
miles (3.2k) north of Wind Cave visitor center on S.D. Highway 87.
It is also visible from a pullout on S.D. 87 near Centennial Trailhead
1.6 miles (2.6k) north of the visitor center. The Beaver Creek Bridge
spans one of two perennial streams that flow into Wind Cave National
Park. It is a deck arch bridge built of concrete and steel. It is
225 feet (69m) long and sits 115 feet (35m) above the canyon floor.
The purpose of constructing the bridge in 1929 was to provide travelers
a more suitable access to the newly developing Custer State Park
to the north of Wind Cave National Park.
One
of the significant accomplishments of the builders of the bridge was to create
the illusion that the concrete arches rise naturally from the rock walls on opposite
sides of the canyon. The nature of this bridge makes it historically significant.
It is the only bridge of its particular arch type in the State of South Dakota.
It is also only one of three "most significant bridges" in the Rocky
Mountain region of the National Park System. Construction of this bridge was made
possible through the efforts of Peter Norbeck, U.S. Senator from South Dakota.
Senator Norbeck was also involved with the development of Custer State Park and
scenic highways within the Black Hills.
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