Skydance Bridge, Oklahoma City
An ‘enlightening’ urban hike
“Take a Hike!” with writer Nick Thomas to Oklahoma City, to the colorful Scissortail Park and the unforgettable Skydance Bridge, with its striking form and stunning nighttime illumination.
With over 90 miles of trails weaving through the area, Oklahoma City’s numerous parks are a haven for walkers, joggers, and hikers alike. While the green urban spaces invite exploration of the hidden gems and points of interest throughout the city, one must-see landmark for visitors – day or night – is the iconic Skydance Bridge.
Arriving late in the afternoon, we parked on SW Second Street before heading south on foot through Scissortail Park, named after Oklahoma’s state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. Our destination was the 380-foot-long pedestrian Skydance Bridge, opened in 2012, that spans I-40 and connects the north (40-acre) and south (30-acre) portions of the park. The state bird also inspired the bridge’s design, with its striking V-shaped steel sculpture towering nearly 200 feet above the walkway, resembling the flycatcher’s distinctive forked tail feathers.
After admiring the bridge, we continued through the park and surrounding area waiting for sunset, since the bridge is especially stunning when lit by LED lights during the evening. But there was no shortage of dazzling sights to fill the remaining daylight hours, including a walk around a lake with surrounding trees teeming with colorful chirping birds. Rental pedal boats, canoes, and kayaks glided slowly over the water as their occupants absorbed the relaxing view dominated by Oklahoma City’s tallest building. The sleek 50-story Devon Tower, also completed in 2012, is a skyline scene stealer with its reflective glass exterior. The Vast Restaurant occupies the top two floors offering meals “sourced from local producers” as well as spectacular views of the city.
Myriad Botanical Gardens, just a couple of blocks north of the park off Reno Street, was intriguing. Since originally conceived by city leaders in the late 1960s, the 17-acre plot most recently underwent an $11 million renovation in 2022 and features immaculate landscaping, a children’s garden, a restaurant area, fountains, sculptures, and the dazzling Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory encased in a shell of over 3,000 translucent acrylic panels housing an impressive exotic plant collection.
The “Taking Flight: Light as a Feather” art piece, installed two years ago at the north end of Scissortail Park, was a delightful surprise find. The 6-ton, 31-foot-tall metal sculpture is the artist’s vision of a delicately curved feather gently floating earthward. Stunning any time – and especially at night when fiber optic lights illuminate its intricate details – the sculpture truly comes to life just prior to sunset, when we happened to walk past. As the sun hung in the darkening sky behind the sculpture, its dying rays filtered through the figure, highlighting the steel bars comprising the feather’s ribs, offering an inspiring picture-perfect moment we were lucky to experience.
For many visitors, however, the star of Scissortail Park will be the illuminated Skydance Bridge straddling the busy interstate below. The remotely controlled lights, programmable for holidays and special events, displayed a vibrant deep blue glow during our visit, dramatically highlighting the structure’s sweeping design. But the color varies from night to night. As viewed from the bridge’s south end and set against the backdrop of city lights, it was the perfect conclusion to our two-mile urban nature walk around Oklahoma City.
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns, and interviews for many newspapers and magazines, including Boomer. His “Take a Hike!” column describes short trails, hikes, and walks from around the country that older adults might enjoy while traveling. See ItsAWonderfulHike.com.
