See Ohio's 125 historic covered bridges

By Theresa Semchee

Ohio certified volunteer naturalist

It may surprise you (it sure did me) to know there are 125 historic wooden covered bridges in Ohio. Who knew?

And more than 60 of them are on the National Register of Historical Places. Covered-bridge tours are a great way to see history, while also enjoying the end of the fall season and the nature in our area.

I picked up a brochure at the chamber of commerce in Geneva-on-the-Lake this summer and began to read about all the covered bridges in Ashtabula County. We spend our summer weekends at Lake Erie so I wondered why I hadn’t seen more than three of these bridges in all our adventures along the lake. This brochure laid out a self-guided tour of the 17 covered bridges just in that county. We picked a beautiful summer day to set out and find them all.

Although it was a great adventure, I wish we would have waited until fall or late fall to enjoy the drive. This time of year there is so much more to see with a few fall colors left, but fewer leaves, enabling you to enjoy the natural landscape. Some of the other bridges we found on our all-day tour were hard to find and barely used. But it was amazing how well they are all maintained.

Ashtabula County can boast both the longest and shortest covered bridges in the United States. The Smolen-Gulf Bridge is the longest one at 613 feet and standing 93 feet above the Ashtabula River. It can be seen while traveling south on state Route 11.

The shortest is the West Liberty Covered Bridge in Geneva, spanning only 18 feet. The second-longest is the Harpersfield Covered Bridge, spanning 228 feet and claiming a spot on the National Register.

If you are in for a lovely day in Mahoning County, take some time to walk across the covered bridge at Lanterman’s Mill in Mill Creek MetroParks. This beauty was designed after a bridge used by farmers to bring their grain to the mill back in the 1800s. It is quite a site to behold over Mill Creek and the natural gorge area around the mill.

Five covered bridges were restored this year in Columbiana County. There has been much media coverage of them this year after the county engineer received grants to restore these beautiful structures. A tour of them all makes for a great Sunday afternoon drive.

Be sure to take time now and during the holidays to see some covered bridges, and also to enjoy the beauty of the natural world around them.