Foresthill Bridge

USA / California / North Auburn /
 bridge, road bridge, movie / film / TV location

Foresthill Bridge, 730 ft. (222 m.) tall, was featured in the action movie xXx starring Vin Diesel.
This bridge is the highest in California, the 3rd highest in the USA and the 9th highest bridge in the world.

The Foresthill Bridge is 730 feet above the American River's north fork. It opened for public use on Labor Day, 1973. The 1/2 mile long span with piers only 16 feet shorter than those of the Golden Gate was built at a cost of $13 million by the Bureau of Reclamation. It has become a favorite of parachutists, and movie makers as well as tourists. The bridge was constructed as a replacement for the existing Auburn-Foresthill bridge which was to have been inundated by the filling of the Auburn Dam Reservoir. This was to have occurred by 1983. (as of today, Dec 1, 2001, it has not been constructed). It was estimated the cost of maintenance of the span would run $425,00 per year. The bridge was opposed strongly by environmentalists--in part because of the opposition to the dam in general. It has become a favorite of parachutists, and movie makers as well as tourists.

The bridge has made the trip to Foresthill (about 20 miles east of Auburn) an easier and safer trip. The old road twisted and turned down the river grade across the old bridge then made its winding way up out of the river gorge.

That road, known as Old Foresthill Road, is still used by many people to enjoy the recreation of the river for gold mining, swimming, hiking or for historic or nature walks and access to the Mammoth Bar ORV area and to the Eldorado side of the American River.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°55'20"N   121°2'19"W

Comments

  • I made my first BASE jump there in 1981.
  • So did I, Same Year.
This article was last modified 3 months ago