Robber's Ravine Bridge is a nearly 200 foot long wooden bridge over Robber's Ravine, on the Johnny…read moreCash Trail in Folsom. It sits about 50 feet above the American River, just behind Folsom Zoo and City Hall.
Installation of the bridge began in September 2017, and opening ceremonies were on October 14, 2017. Festivities included a run, walk, hike, and private dinner fundraiser event on the bridge. The fundraiser was meant to raise money for art on the trail, which mostly still has yet to be completed.
The bridge offers some nice views of Robber's Ravine, Lake Natoma, the back of Folsom Zoo, and the Folsom Prison cows, which graze near the trail just beyond the bridge.
It is easy to walk to the bridge from Folsom City Lion's Park, Rodeo Park, or the zoo. It's only about a quarter mile away. The path that goes behind the toddler playground area at the park leads down to the bike path near the bridge.
In Spring, tons of wildflowers bloom around the bridge, including purple and yellow lupine, poppies, vetch, red clover, fairy lanterns, and more. There is also a lot of wildlife living near this area, including turkeys, hawks, eagles, deer, coyotes, bobcats, and even the occasional mountain lion.
(I've recently seen a bobcat walking directly over this bridge.)
SIGNS ON THE BRIDGE:
Arriving to the bridge from the old Folsom side, there is a sign on a rock that reads:
"Robber's Ravine Bridge
on the Johnny Cash Trail
Robber's Ravine was named during a bygone era when the west was a little wilder than today. The thickly forested ravine provided cover for outlaws who terrorized Northern California in the mid to late 1800s. Members of the notorious Tom Bell gang were known to use Robber's Ravine as a hideout. Bell is widely regarded as the first person to rob a stagecoach. He and his gang botched a holdup attempt in 1856 near Marysville and killed a female passenger. The fleeing outlaws reportedly engaged in a fierce gun battle and most were killed or captured in the ravine. Bell escaped and fled to Firebaugh's Ferry, but was eventually hunted down and hanged, ending the reign of terror by this band of outlaws. Less notorious robberies occurred here as well. As reported in an 1897 edition of the Sacramento Daily Record-Union Newspaper, a local butcher returning from a delivery in the countryside was the victim of a holdup near this location. The robber stole his cash and 'helped himself liberally to meat from the wagon.'
Today, the ravine provides a peaceful setting for pedestrians, cyclists, and even equestrians to enjoy this beautiful location along the 2.5 mile Johnny Cash Trail. The Robber's Ravine Bridge towers 45 feet above the ground and carries the Johnny Cash Trail 198 feet across the ravine. The trail traverses Folsom State Prison property and was named in honor of the Man in Black, who performed two concerts at Folsom Prison on January 13, 1968. The lead single from those concerts, 'Folsom Prison Blues,' became a Top 40 hit, propelling the city and the prison into the public consciousness and forever connecting Johnny Cash with Folsom. If you look to the North, you can see the walls and towers forming the outer perimeter of Folsom Prison."
The sign goes on to list the names of City Council, Parks & Recreation Commission, and Administrative Staff.
On either side of the bridge, small metal signs read:
Robbers Ravine Bridge
Owner:
City of Folsom
Bridge Installed By:
Western Wood Structures, Inc
Bridge Designer & Supplier:
Western Wood Structures
#174005
Completed:
March, 2018
Pedestrian Load Rating:
Live Load 90 psf
Vehicle Load Rating:
H5 - 5 Tons
