The Longest & Highest Trestle Bridge In The World Is Just A Short Drive From Calgary
Did you know that Alberta has the longest and highest trestle bridge in the entire world? That means you don’t have to travel far to see one of the coolest manmade wonders. The High Level Bridge in Lethbridge is so big that the pictures of it don’t do it justice. It’s really something you need to see to believe.
Trestle bridges are all over Canada but believe it or not, one of the best is located in Lethbridge.
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In August of 1908, there was a large boom in both population and coal mining which lead to the development of this bridge.
By June 1909, the bridge was complete and today, it still stands as the largest trestle bridge in all of Canada.
It’s even larger than the ones in B.C.
Altogether, it cost $1,334,525 to build this 1.6 kilometre long and 96-metre high monstrosity.
This monument was truly built to last and it’s still used today by numerous trains.
While it’s worth the visit, you can’t climb it. No foot traffic is allowed and it’s incredibly dangerous to cross due to the trains.
That being said, it’s worth the visit.
You’ll definitely want to take your camera with you but we can guarantee you won’t be able to fit the entire length of the bridge in one picture.
The panoramic feature on your phone will totally come in handy.
The bridge itself is super easy to get to and all you need to do is type the location into Google Maps.
If you're driving from downtown Calgary, it'll only take you two hours and 15 minutes. That's not bad considering you'll get the view of a lifetime.
There's parking near the Heritage Heights area. Here you should be able to get unobstructed views of the bridge.
There are also some public paths that wind underneath the bridge so you can really understand the magnitude of the structure.
Just remember, no climbing.
All barriers and fences around the perimeter of the bridge are there for your safety.
If you’re up for it, we suggest going during sunset. The gorgeous prairie sky shines so brightly against the bridge making for a truly romantic setting.
There’s a bench in the area to sit on so don’t worry about bringing a blanket.
If you’re lucky, maybe a train will be passing by during your visit.
High Level Trestle
Address: Lethbridge, AB
Why You Need To Go: Who else can say they visited the largest manmade trestle bridge in the world? Bucket list activity to say the least.