Sweetwater River Bridge

Careful leaving items in your car ladies! Came back from an 8 mile hike to find my window busted and my purse stolen! Put your valuables in your trunk!!!

Awesome place for photographs. The bridge is great for bringing in some architecture and nearby trails allow for great backdrops to photographs. I’ll be heading back here again in the near future.

I don’t know what it is about this place but it’s alittle creepy to me. Growing up as a teen in the area I heard ghost stories from this infamous bridge down to the bakery in Jamul. I came here with my pup just earlier for a walk, since it’s one of the closer trails in my area. It’s nice just kind of dirty .? Hard to explain. I feel like bums live in the bushes. Like I said kind of creepy, luckily the sheriffs station is less than a mile away. Don’t get me wrong though when the sun hits the grass it makes for a beautiful country feel.

When you pull off the main road you enter a small paved and dirt parking lot, it’s literally right in front of the historic bridge. It’s very accessible even if you just want a quick snapshot from your car. The bridge is only accessible by foot or bikes not by car.
I’ve been here at different times of the day and it’s always beautiful and serene. It’s a very popular spot for photography of just the landscape setting or like today I saw a family getting their holiday photos taken. I totally want to do this too… so rustic, country, and historic looking.
It’s November, and the leaves are changing colors. The fallen leaves and morning sun cast shadows under the bridge and add to the peaceful Fall ambiance. The «river» is all dried out. Just leaves, foliage, and huge trees run underneath. Different kinds of birds were swooping through the branches. Just shut out the loud traffic and semi truck noise going down campo road.
Past the bridge is a huge perfect looking tree which is another popular spot for photography. I’ve seen gorgeous engagement and wedding photos here.
It’s a great place for hiking on the trails but I have yet to go off the beaten path and explore.
The only con I experienced was seeing broken glass in the dirt parking spot space. It looked like a car window got smashed out. So obviously don’t leave your belongings or anything of value in your vehicle and always lock your doors. I also noticed some mild graffiti tagging but I thought it was funny since it said «wolf». Welcome to east county. Maybe that person saw a «wolf» right there haha.
I also noticed some people don’t even drive there. They come from across the street where there’s a trail behind the YMCA.
Overall, it’s a really nice change of scenery from San Diego city life and it’s not to far away or remote access from civilization. It’s right across from the movie theaters, shopping, and restaurants. I totally recommend a little stroll, long hike, or a bike ride through time.