Facilities at the Independence Rest Area are on Hwy 96 with a short, graded gravel road on the southwest side of the bridge to take you down to the river. There are tables, restrooms and an information board. While enjoying your stay, you can be entertained by the flock of at least 200 cliff swallows that claim the bridge as a nest site. In the late evening hours, you may catch a glimpse of a herd of Roosevelt elk across the river in the open meadow.