The historic Suspension Bridge over the Brazos River has been used since 1870, when cattle were driven over it on the Chisholm Trail! Today, pedestrians still come here to walk across the wooden boards and imagine the feel and rumble of their hooves!
Know Before You Go
Parking is FREE along University Parks.
While it started it’s life as a toll bridge, there is now no fee to cross the bridge.
Restrooms are located on the west side of the bridge.
Take some cut up grapes to feed to the flocks of duck that hang out around the bridge. Grapes are much better for ducks than bread.
The Suspension Bridge is held up by these huge cables!
If you can, see the bridge at night, when it’s all lit up!
For more about the history of the Waco Suspension Bridge, click HERE to visit the Texas State Historical Association’s website.
The bridge connect East and West Waco. On the East side of the bridge is Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Walk across and climb the stairs to the Overlook Tower.
Branding The Brazos
On the west side of the Brazos River at the entrance to the bridge, in Indian Springs Park stand 25 bronze longhorn cattle and cattlemen, paying homage to the bridge’s important contribution to the Chisholm Trail.
The artist of the public sculpture project is Robert Summers. He has other iconic sculptures in Plano and Dallas, including those at Dallas’ Pioneer Park. A native Texan, he lives and works in Glen Rose, and is also the Associate Director of the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose. To learn more about his work, please click HERE.
Food Trucks
Walk down the riverwalk to the food trucks on University Parks, or just follow your nose, because they smell wonderful!
Outdoor Waco
Just across the street from the Waco Riverwalk, Outdoor Waco is now Bicycle World, but you can still rent bikes and watercrafts such as kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes for exploring the Brazos River and Cameron Park! They also have a calendar full of fun events! Click HERE to visit their website.
Things to do in Waco
The Waco Mammoth National Monument is a 45 minute tour of the dig site of 23 mammoths and other “ice age” animals that appear to have been caught in a sudden flash flood. Click HERE for more information.
BSR Cable Park is more than just a wakepark, with a long lazy river and 3 waterslides, including the Royal Flush! There are also cabins on the ground overlooking the cable lake and lemur island! Click HERE to read more.
The Mayborn Museum on the Baylor Campus is one of our favorites, with many rooms for hands-on exploration, Texas natural history and the Governor Bill Daniel’s Frontier Village, with many old buildings to explore. For more information, click HERE.
Cameron Park is a wonderful park along the Brazos River in Waco. Hiking and biking trails, playgrounds, splash pads, disc golf and much more, plus scenic overlooks at Lovers Leap. Click HERE for more information.
Cameron Park Zoo is a small and very accessible zoo with what my children describe as “the zoo animals with the most personality”. Click HERE to read more.
Waco Suspension Bridge
101 University Parks, Waco
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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