Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Planning bridge over muddy inlet - could use input

I have a ravine by the house that delivers a little rain water and ground water to my pond. During heavy storms there is standing water in the ravine but it's usually just mud. I want to build a foot bridge over it. I want to do this myself (with my brothers' help) and I would like to do it as simply and cheaply as possible. This bridge will be for pedestrians but I imagine the kids might ride a mini bike over it - no tractors or machinery. The span of the mud is about 23'; I would add about 10' to that (5' each side) if I secure this up the bank.
Trying to avoid having to support it in the middle as I'm not sure about driving posts in the mud, unless I wait until winter when I can walk on the surface.
Would like some opinions or suggestions before I decide on something alone. Most of my projects end up with me realizing there was a better way when I am already half way through it.
1. Considering using 2 telephone poles with deck boards going across it if I make a raised bridge.
2. Also thinking about a "floating" bridge though it would really just be laying in mud so not sure if that is a sound idea. I could build a frame with treated boards around plastic barrels. Not very pretty but functional.

Here are 2 pics of the area to give an idea of what I'm looking at. The bridge will span from point 1 to point 2, if that wasn't evident.

Attached Images

I have sort of the same issue...

This is all I have thus far...but it was free:

Kind of neat

IMO, footed posts, and brackets are far easier than dealing with lumber, and the effort saved is well worth it. Just build your bridge panels the size you want them, then drop them on the brackets. Also, consider that floating bridges probably require moving/sliding sections on the banks as the water level rises and falls.

esshup and I have built 3 docks, and all three were with Tommy Docks hardware. Look specifically at the muck feet and galvanized posts. Also, unless something has recently changed, if bought through the big orange box store there's no shipping costs. If you're doing this manually, and won't move deck panels with a tractor, then deck the pressure treated frame once it's in position on the brackets. TD hardware

That is a good looking pond with a little surrounding forest!

Can you easily lower the water level in the pond? If so, one option would be to pull the water level down about 2-3 feet and then throw out some plywood so you can work at your mud crossing. That would enable you to do a more traditional bridge with posts throughout the span.

That would be better looking, but certainly more work than just staking out the telephone poles. However, transportation on some 25' poles may cost more than the poles themselves (unless you have a long trailer).

Here is a link to Rusto's pond projects. He did a bridge last year over about that same span. I think his final product looks great, but his pond is just beyond the back deck of his house - so I am pretty sure his wife made the appearance part of the job requirements!

Rusto's Bridge (and other projects)

Scroll from 9/12/21 through 4/10/22.

Zep's first picture reminds me of a scene from the obstacle course in "Stripes."

Ive always pictured building a bridge out of the light trailer house frame Ibeams, you can cut the center struts and lap them over each other and make it pretty narrow, also if a person was real artistic you can cut a small v in the bottom of them in a couple places and bring that together and weld it creating an arched walkway, for possibly very little out of pocket expense, they will almost give you the trailer frames to get rid of them. obviously this is an easier project for someone with a welding and fabricating skills.