Roadside Attraction
Dead-end to Old Trails Bridge
Needles, California
The old railroad trestles emblazoned with the Santa Fe Railroad name and logo are tangible links to railroad history. The graceful arch of the National Old Trails Arch Bridge over the Colorado River is another popular photo op. Dedicated on February 20, 1916, the bridge replaced the ferry crossing at Topock. It carreied National Old Trails Road traffic until 1926, and Route 66 traffic until 1947. The bridge appears in the 1940 film adaptation of John Steinbeck's book The Grapes of Wrath.
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