Bakers Bridge - Animas River, Colorado

There are local destinations and then there are destinations for the locals that the mainstream tourists usually only stumble upon. Small bridge destinations are traditional local gathering spots where the same people show up whenever some cheap good times need to be had. Fishing, rafting and bridge jumping are pretty much the only entertainment venue, which appeals more to the local folk than mainstream tourists. 

When a small bridge gathering spot is located in a busy tourism area like the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, the local folk that frequent the bridge know that foreigners will likely stop to check out the scenic sight. Few stick around to do more than take a picture, however there are always some down to earth tourists that relish the thought of having fun for cheap. Lazing the day away while doing some bridge jumping and having a picnic under the shade trees by a river can be like a dream come true, especially when trying not to spend the entire life savings while on vacation!

Bakers Bridge could be on any small river just about anywhere. Small Bridges where the local people goof off and have fun jumping into the deep part of a river are not exactly featured in tourism brochures. In fact, the local folk prefer to keep this kind of getaway spot secret, so providing hand written directions to an outsider would be absolutely taboo. If you happen to run across a cool looking local bridge jumping spot while on vacation, it is okay to join in on the fun but it is best to give the locals some room to breathe. Escaping from the tourists is really what the local bridge destinations are all about! ​