Rock Church Bridge?

Hi all,

Today a friend and I made a big loop around Stephenville with stops in Dublin and Comyn. On the way back to the metroplex I thought I'd run up Rock Church Highway (FM 2870) near Tolar to see this bridge, but, alas! Nothing but a boring, modern concrete bridge over the Paluxy River.

I thought I'd try looking around the vicinity again some time so I did a little more research and found this article. According to this article, there is no public access to this bridge. Before I give up on it, I thought I check here to see if anyone has ever seen it and it there's a way to get to it.

Next time I'm in that vicinity, I'll stop by to see the Bluff Dale bridge for sure.

Thanks, Ed

There's semi-public access - you can see it, but as you say there's no "public road access" - you can't ride across it. It's behind the old Rock Church just east of FM2870, between Hood Co. 224 north of the Paluxy (gravel) and Erath Co. 172 south of the Paluxy (paved), both running off to the west of FM2870.

It's a great area. There's the low water crossing of the Paluxy down closer to Glen Rose on Sumervell Co. 1008 and a nice old single lane Pratt truss across the Brazos on Bosque Co. 1175. Oh, and a rare (for Texas) Whipple truss over the North Bosque in Clifton. And...

Tom

Wow! Great stuff, Tom. I think I'll head back that way again to do a little more exploring. I really like the twisty roads and cedar tree smells in that area. I just want to see and photograph the bridge, I don't need to ride over it.

One thing, though, my ride is an FJR and although I don't mind a (small) bit of gravel, it's not a dual-sport by any stretch. Are there any roads you mention below that I should just flat avoid on the FJR?

Thanks! Ed

There is a nicely outfitted KLR currently up for grabs in the For Sale section

You're not helping, Scott!

dfwfjr said:

One thing, though, my ride is an FJR and although I don't mind a (small) bit of gravel, it's not a dual-sport by any stretch.

Thanks! Ed

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You would be surprised how you can get out of the mess you find yourself in !
Try not to get up to the bags in soft sand, don't ask me how I know that....

dfwfjr said:

One thing, though, my ride is an FJR and although I don't mind a (small) bit of gravel, it's not a dual-sport by any stretch. Are there any roads you mention below that I should just flat avoid on the FJR?

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Not other than Hood County 224. (Laughs to self, remembering a misadventure.) Of course, this is "out in the county" and, well, things don't always stay the same - pavement, like small cafes and gas stations, can appear and disappear! That said, the old cable stay in Bluff Dale is about 150 feet off the pavement, but it's paved from there across Erath Co. 172 to Rock Church, and down Hood County's Baker's Crossing and Sumervell County's 1007 to the big low water crossing just above Dinosaur Valley. (If there's too much water or it's too slick, you can ride around the north side of the S.P. and pick up FM56 into Glen Rose.) In the area, FM51 and FM203 are fun rides. It's paved across the Brazos at Brazos Point, and the Clifton bridge is in town.

On the FJR, you could push on past Clifton to visit the Queen Mother of Texas' bridges, the Waco suspension, but if you buy that KLR you could make a loop and go see the pretty little Bullman Bowstring over the Leon River outside of Hamliton.

Scoot safe,
Tom

PS - Check out "Let's Eat" in Bluff Dale!

"It's not the destination, it's the journey."

It's behind the old Rock Church just east of FM2870, between Hood Co. 224 north of the Paluxy (gravel) and Erath Co. 172 south of the Paluxy (paved), both running off to the west of FM2870.

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I'm home now looking at my "The Roads of Texas" map. I see both of the roads you're referring to. There also seems to be an extension of Erath Co. 172 running east across 2870 to the church. I assume there's no public access to that road. (I didn't see any of these roads yesterday.) Is the idea to pull off onto 172 to the west and look around the other side of 2870 for the bridge? (Apologies for being slow.)

Sounds like I need to take a run down 172 from Bluff Dale all the way down to Dinosaur Valley. Seems like, from the map, it crosses the Paluxy in the vicinity of the town of Paluxy. Do I have that right?

In the area, FM51 and FM203 are fun rides.

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No doubt about it. I've ridden them both several times.

Thanks again! Ed