Covered bridges remind us of a simpler, more unhurried time in American history, before the days of automobiles and mass transportation. They’re charming iconic symbols of the country’s heritage. Bridges were covered to keep animals from shying from the water and to protect the wood from which the platforms were made. Ohio boasts 2,000 covered bridges, and each year counties and towns within the state celebrate them with tours and festivals.
The Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival is held every October in Jefferson. The festival lasts two days and features a pancake breakfast each morning, a parade, arts and crafts exhibit and live music. The county boasts 16 covered bridges and it provides a brochure for self-guided tours. It also offers a Step-On Tour Guide Service for motor coaches that can be arranged by contacting festival organizers via email.
Washington County was once home to 50 covered bridges; only nine remain. The county provides information on how to take a self-guided tour of the bridges through its website. The tour begins in Marietta on Washington Street, where you will cross the Washington Street Bridge and then wind your way through western Washington County where you’ll see six of the bridges. The other three bridges can be found along Route 26 and the Wayne National Forest Scenic By-Way.
MotorcycleRoads.com has designed a tour of some of Ohio’s covered bridges that takes you on a route ideal for motorcycle travel. The route is part of the country’s official National Forest Scenic Byway. It takes you through a hilly section of southeastern Ohio near the West Virginia border and through the Wayne National Forest, following along the Muskingum River. Riders will see four covered bridges during the trip; however, only one bridge allows you to take your bike across. Besides the bridges, you’ll have the opportunity to see bucolic farm country, dense woods and tall river bluffs. The tour begins in Marietta.
The Dayton Cycling Club has crafted a tour that takes you back to days when bicycles were brand new and automobiles were rarely seen. The tour has been ongoing for nearly 30 years, and the bridges along the way are more than 100 years old. The tour begins at Brookville High School in Brookville and there is a small fee to participate. Four tours are available at varying lengths: 23 miles (two covered bridges), 45 miles (five covered bridges), 74 miles (seven covered bridges) and 105 miles (10 covered bridges).
The Brown County Quilt Barn and Covered Bridge Tour features five bridges that are part of the county’s local heritage. Besides the bridges, the tour includes stops at area barns that display works of art by a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati. The tour features 19 barns and five bridges. Three of the bridges are accessible by automobile, but two are open to foot traffic only.
