This Day Trip Takes You To 6 Of Indiana’s Covered Bridges And It’s Perfect For A Scenic Drive
The state of Indiana has quite an interesting honor to its name, especially if you’re a fan of old, historic places. As of the time of this writing, there are 98 covered bridges in the Hoosier State; once upon a time, this number was significantly higher, being somewhere between 400 and 500. Unfortunately, history and time always take their toll, and usually, things like covered bridges just don’t last. However, there are some covered bridges in Indiana that most certainly have lasted over the decades (if not longer), and what better way to appreciate them than by embarking upon a short day trip to admire them? We went ahead and created a blueprint for you to do exactly that: here’s a shortlist of some of the most beautiful covered bridges in Indiana – all of which are waiting for you to admire them. To follow along, be sure to visit the official trip map on Google Maps.
Parke County, Indiana, is quite literally famous for being the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World", so that's where we'll roam this time around. Let's gooooo!
We'll begin our adventure at the Cox Ford Covered Bridge, which was built in 1913 by Joseph A. Britton and resides over Sugar Creek on the western edge of Turkey Run State Park. Interestingly, it was built from arches used on the Armiesburg Covered Bridge, which had been washed out earlier that year in the flood of 1913. It's a burr arch truss bridge that spans 176 feet in length.
Just few short minutes up the road is our second guest of honor, the Beeson Covered Bridge. Once upon a time, this bridge crossed Roaring Creek on County Road 216 in Washington Township, but in 1979, it was moved to its current location in Billie Creek Village. It was built in 1906 and is considerably smaller than the Cox Ford Covered Bridge, coming in at just 55 feet in length. It was originally going to be called the Marshall Covered Bridge, but there was already another nearby that had this name - so it was simply named after the local Beeson family instead.
Beeson Covered Bridge, 65 Billie Creek Road, Rockville, IN 47872, USA
Our third stop is at the old Crooks Covered Bridge , which crosses over Little Raccoon Creek and was built in 1855/56 by a man named Henry Wolf. It was moved from its original location at some point in or around 1863, though the exact reason for this is unknown. It is an impressive 154 feet in length, and to this day, it's open to traffic.
Crooks Covered Bridge, 3005 Crooks Bridge Rd, Rockville, IN 47872, USA
Our fourth stop is the famed McAllisters Covered Bridge, built by Joseph A. Britton and his son in 1914. It's 144 feet long and absolutely beautiful, expertly crafted from local wood and appreciated by residents for well over a century now. Like all of these old bridges, McAllister Covered Bridge is quite the sight to behold - which earned it its place on this delightful day trip.
McAllisters Covered Bridge, Rockville, IN 47872, USA
The old Neet Covered Bridge was built in 1904 directly over Little Raccoon Creek. It is 144 feet long, expertly constructed, and has been a staple of life in Parke County since its inception in the early 20th century. This gorgeous covered bridge in Indiana is only open to foot traffic, though, so please plan accordingly.
Last, but certainly not least, is the longest bridge of the day: Conley’s Ford Covered Bridge, which spans an impressive 212 feet in length. This one crosses over Big Raccoon Creek and is still open to traffic, so you may cross in your car. As with all the bridges on this journey, be sure to bring a camera - it's outrageously photogenic, and we personally can't get enough of it.
Conley's Ford Covered Bridge, County Rd 550, Rockville, IN 47872, USA
There you have it: a fascinating, scenic day trip to six of the most intriguing covered bridges in Indiana. Oh, and if you loved this, you won’t want to miss the annual Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, which happens every year (be sure to keep an eye on the official Parke County Guide for information about the next one).
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Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
