Georgia may seem like a strange place to be carrying the torch of history, but the state's several pedestrian suspension bridges can trace their architectural history back to 1500s Venice, where the first pedestrian bridge allowed horseless humans to cross a wide canal. Interested hikers can stay much closer to home to experience a suspended footbridge, trodding the spans that stretch over Georgia's rugged topography.

The Tallulah Gorge Bridge

A suspension bridge sways 80 feet above Tallulah Gorge's rocky bottom. If that seems like a great height, remember that the 2-mile-long gorge reaches a 1,000-foot depth in other places -- and that tightrope walkers have crossed it without the benefit of walkway width and secure handholds. Join up with one of the park's monthly guided full-moon night hikes to cross the bridge in all its moonlit splendor.

The Lullwater Bridge

The 210-foot span of the Lullwater Bridge crosses Peachtree Creek as it wends through the grounds of Emory University. The bridge, which soars through a forest of old-growth pines, white oaks and poplars, connects the Emory campus to the nearby Veterans Administration Hospital. Built to simplify the commute of doctors, researchers and students, the Lullwater Bridge now connects an extensive set of forest trails that accommodate hikers, joggers and bicyclists.

The Toccoa Swinging Bridge

Georgia's third pedestrian suspension bridge has spanned the Toccoa River since 1977. The longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River, its construction represents an enormous effort of cooperation between the Forest Service and the Appalachian Trail Club. Day hikers and bridge enthusiasts aren't the only users -- the bridge also provides passage for through-hikers in their expeditions of the Benton MacKaye Trail, as well as paddlers making landward connections down the Toccoa River Canoe Trail.

Bridges of Bobby Brown State Park

Not all are suspension-style, but some are -- and Bobby Brown State Park has no dearth of pedestrian bridges. Established as a wildlife reserve on the swampy forested peninsula formed by the Savannah and Broad rivers, the park features well-made footbridges that stretch across all low and wet areas in the park. As you wander over the bridges, look up -- bald eagles often play in the sky overhead.

Rockdale Swinging Bridge

The tiniest swinging bridge in Georgia is the little span that crosses a small stream in Rockdale. It's located along a hiking trail near Panola Mountain State Park.

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