Everyone loves the soaring heights, tremendous views, and incredible history of the Kinzua Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park in the Pennsylvania Wilds!
Recently, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced that the Kinzua Skywalk will be undergoing a multi-year rehabilitation and renovation project, starting after the 2024 fall foliage season.
This means that, thanks to rehabilitation, the Kinzua Skywalk can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come! The renovations will help maintain the Skywalk and ensure its longevity.
However, it also means that your view at Kinzua Bridge State Park will look a little different than what you have come to expect.
For the next few years starting after this 2024 fall foliage season, expect to not be able to step out onto the Kinzua Skywalk except for special openings for two months during each fall season while renovations are taking place.
Other parts of Kinzua Bridge State Park, including the park itself, Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitors Center, PA Wilds Conservation Shop, playground, and Mount Jewett to Kinzua Bridge Trail will all remain open during this time.
By being prepared and knowing what is open and what is closed, you can have the right expectations for what to see at Kinzua Bridge State Park for the next few years.
Lovers of Kinzua Bridge State Park and the Kinzua Skywalk might want to take a special trip to visit the Skywalk this summer or fall before the rehabilitation starts. You’ll still be able to walk out on the Skywalk and enjoy the view during this time. You will also still be able to hike on the Kinzua Creek Trail below the bridge. Park officials will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the upcoming renovations.
Avid fans of Kinzua Bridge might also appreciate coming back during construction, simply to see how things are progressing and view the maintenance work that will take place. If you’re someone who enjoys watching construction take place, it can be fascinating to watch a historical landmark like this be rehabilitated and maintained for future use!
DCNR said the rehabilitation project is planned to begin in November 2024. A structural safety inspection determined that the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk remains safe, so visitors do not need to worry about rescheduling any upcoming plans. However, rehabilitation and renovations are needed to maintain the Skywalk and ensure its longevity for visitors for years to come.
The multi-year project will replace and add new steel to some areas of the supports that have been impacted due to exposure to the elements. Workers will need to remove then reinstall the decking and railroad ties in order to access the bridge’s towers during this renovation.
In addition to maintaining the structural integrity of the Skywalk, some improvements will also be made to enhance the visitor experience, DCNR said. This includes installing new plexiglass at the end of the Skywalk, as the old glass section had become foggy and difficult for visitors to peer into the valley below their feet. The renovations will also replace the handrails along the Skywalk, and workers will blast, clean and paint all of the steel portions of the Skywalk.
Although details remain to be finalized, the potential timeline plan is for the closure to begin on November 19, 2024, with an anticipated project start date in early 2025. DCNR anticipates that the project will be completed in fall of 2027. There will be temporary closures in September and October of this year for equipment mobilization and to take measurements for ordering materials. Work will be stopped during the winter months, but the Skywalk will remain off limits during that time, DCNR said.
The Kinzua Bridge Skywalk and Kinzua Creek Trail will be closed to pedestrian traffic during the project. The Skywalk is planned to reopen temporarily for two months during fall 2025 so that travelers can enjoy the fall foliage.
During the construction and renovations, Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center will remain open. The world-class visitor center features great views, self-guided exhibits, retail services and information about the surrounding area.
The park’s picnic tables, pavilion, playground, and observation deck also will remain open to visitors during the project. The last few hundred yards of the Knox and Kane Rail Trail that terminates in the park will also be impacted during the closure, but a detour will be provided so rail trail users can continue on to the park visitor center.
A star attraction in McKean County, and the Pennsylvania Wilds region, the Skywalk’s temporary closure is anticipated to impact visitation to the park and nearby rural communities that rely on visitor dollars to support local small businesses. The Skywalk attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year to the PA Wilds.
DCNR has tried to schedule this important maintenance around the fall leaf peeping season so the Skywalk can be open each year during the typically busy fall time. Many rural small businesses count on the dollars that come from tourists visiting for leaf peeping.
The PA Wilds Center, the backbone nonprofit for the regional PA Wilds strategy to grow outdoor recreation to help revitalize rural communities, has applied for funding from DCNR to help with public awareness messaging around the closures and reopenings, and storytelling and interpretation related to the maintenance that is happening.
As part of its mission, the PA Wilds Center operates PA Wilds Conservation Shop gift shops at different recreation assets in the region, including at Kinzua Bridge State Park. The mission-driven shops have a major focus on selling products that are made by local craftspeople and small businesses from the PA Wilds region. The Center’s Kinzua Bridge gift shop has more than forty small business vendors from rural PA. Staff are also trained to help pass foot traffic to nearby attractions and rural communities.
As an historic train structure and engineering marvel, the Skywalk’s maintenance will be fascinating to anyone who loves history or construction.
People came to see the Viaduct when it ran trains. They came to see it after it got knocked down by a tornado. And they’ve come in droves to experience its reinvention as a Skywalk. There are definitely people who will be curious what the maintenance of such an incredible structure entails.
No one wants to see the Skywalk temporarily close, but this is important maintenance to get done.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania knows that the Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park draws in thousands of visitors every year, boosts the local economy, and is a point of pride in this rural community. That’s why they are prioritizing the maintenance of the Skywalk, while also ensuring that the fall foliage season is disrupted as little as possible.
Please have patience as DCNR renovates the Kinzua Skywalk, and remember that it will help maintain this breathtaking landmark for decades to come. We want families to be able to visit and create memories at Kinzua Bridge State Park, enjoy the Skywalk, and learn the incredible history of the region.
By doing this important maintenance, we’ll help ensure that the Kinzua Skywalk brings joy to visitors for generations!
Author: Britt Madera
Britt joined the PA Wilds team as communications manager in 2022, helping to tell the stories that make our region so unique, whether that is covering our beautiful landscapes, the innovative businesses, or the spunky people that call it home. She had worked the last 10 years in radio and news broadcasting, and now she’s continuing to connect media outlets with positive news stories. Britt oversees external communications, media relations, and paid and volunteer content on the blog. As someone who grew up in Clearfield County and moved back shortly after college, Britt is eager to share her passion for the PA Wilds and help our area grow and shine.