Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
about 22 hours ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
1 day ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Ohio Bay Village Porter Creek Bridge Ruins

Porter Creek Bridge Ruins

The overgrown remains of an old rail bridge rise above the valley like ancient Greek ruins.

Bay Village, Ohio

Added By
Brandon Parsons
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
  simonellilaw / Atlas Obscura User
Lake Shore Electric Railway Trestle Remnants   Eric CLE / Atlas Obscura User
  simonellilaw / Atlas Obscura User
In February, no leaves to block the view!  
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins.   MrPExplores / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the age before automobiles or air travel, the people of northern Ohio traveled on a network of interurban trolley lines known as the Lake Shore Electric Railroad. The rail system connected Cleveland to Toledo, and towns such as Fremont and Sandusky in between.

Today, scant few remnants of that historical infrastructure remain, and one of the best examples is this defunct rail bridge that once ran over Porter Creek in Bay Village. The bridge piers and remnants exist as a reminder of Ohio's rail-heavy past, stretching across the creek on its way to nearby Huntington Beach and Lake Erie like a colossus. 

The bridge was originally built in 1901 and saw heavy use through the 1920s, spanning over the wide Porter Creek valley. But during the Great Depression, the railroad company slowly declined until it finally went bankrupt in 1939. The line was dismantled, the tracks removed, and the Porter Creek Bridge stood as a sad, stark reminder of what once was. 

Today, the overgrown remains of the bridge rise above the Porter Creek Valley like ancient Greek ruins, covered in creeping, tenacious vines and the thick greenery of summer. These modern-day ruins invoke wonder in those who come across them while hiking within the valley.

Related Tags

Ruins Railroads History Infrastructure Bridges Abandoned

Know Before You Go

Getting to the bridge piers and remnants is extremely easy. Park at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center located on Porter Creek Road in Bay Village. Follow the bicycle path north along the road until the path dips down below the bridge piers. To cross the creek to the other side, continue north on the bicycle path, cross the bridge over the creek and cross to the west side of the road. Paths lead back along the creek towards the bridge piers deeper into the woods.

Community Contributors

Added By

MrPExplores

Edited By

Eric CLE, curnaland1, simonellilaw

  • Eric CLE
  • curnaland1
  • simonellilaw

Published

July 30, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Porter Creek Bridge Ruins
Porter Creek Drive
Bay Village, Ohio
United States
41.48764, -81.936488
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Yorkie Doodle Dandy Memorial

Rocky River, Ohio

miles away

Presidential Christmas Ornaments at Hixson's

Lakewood, Ohio

miles away

The Sanctuary Museum

Lakewood, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ohio

Ohio

United States

Places 240
Stories 22

Nearby Places

Yorkie Doodle Dandy Memorial

Rocky River, Ohio

miles away

Presidential Christmas Ornaments at Hixson's

Lakewood, Ohio

miles away

The Sanctuary Museum

Lakewood, Ohio

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ohio

Ohio

United States

Places 240
Stories 22

Related Stories and Lists

A Tour of Abandoned Places of the Midwest

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Inside the tunnel.

    Payson, Arizona

    Abandoned Mineral Belt Railroad Tunnel

    A partial tunnel blasted into a steep ridge is all that remains of a failed railway across Arizona.

  • Preserved section of old viaduct.

    Llanelli, Wales

    Loughor Viaduct

    A section of a historic wooden trestle viaduct is preserved next to the railway line it once carried.

  • Tunnel 33, now collapsed.

    Winter Park, Colorado

    Rifle Sight Notch

    This old train trestle and collapsed tunnel once allowed the railroad to negotiate the steep slopes of the Colorado Rockies.

  • Lune Viaduct at Waterside.

    Firbank, England

    Waterside Viaduct

    The abandoned railway bridge stands hidden in the farmland of rural Cumbria.

  • Llucmajor, Spain

    Puente de las Siete Bocas

    This spectacular bridge is part of an abandoned train line that once connected Mallorcan capital to the southeastern coast.

  • Stańczyki Viaducts.

    gołdapski, Poland

    Stańczyki Viaducts

    The two abandoned overpasses are among the largest bridges in Poland.

  • Bridge to Nowhere

    Irlavas pagasts, Latvia

    Bridge to Nowhere

    A railway bridge leading nowhere stands lonely in the middle of a meadow.

  • The snow sheds.

    Truckee, California

    Donner Pass Summit Tunnels

    The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.