In January 1998, a massive flood surged through the gorge at Hocking State Park, destroying and removing almost all structures while continuing the long process of carving the surrounding sandstone. When the bridge was rebuilt, its main bent steel girders were reused as a reminder that such flooding will happen again. The bridge also reflects how the area was formed, as much of the park’s geology resulted from water and wind cutting away sandstone cliff faces. The park’s sandstone has a softer middle layer that is often carved out first, leaving harder top and bottom layers behind in a process called sapping, which often creates hollowed-out recess caves. Large and small slump blocks scattered across the gorge floor are direct evidence of this ongoing geology, and the gorge’s cool, moist conditions support many rare and unusual plants.