Pretty covered bridge close to so many of the other fascinating historic covered bridges in the…read morearea.

Situated on the western edge of Turkey Run State Park, this Single Span Burr Arch Truss bridge was…read morebuilt in 1913 by J.A. Britton-- one of the dozen covered bridges that he erected in Parke County. It carries Cox Ford Road over Sugar Creek, and is easily accessed from US41 via a short stretch of gravel road. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it is #36 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

This beautiful Single Span Burr Arch Truss was the first of the dozen covered bridges built by…read moreJoseph A. Britton in Parke County (1882). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Spanning Sugar Creek, today it sits alongside Narrows Road on the eastern edge of Turkey Run State Park, having been bypassed in 1960. It is #37 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

On the far eastern edge of Turkey Run State Park, Narrows Road crosses Sugar Creek at a high…read moreelevation. Just to the west of the road is a covered bridge that was built in 1882 but was bypassed for preservation and safety. The new road has stairs that lead down to the covered bridge though I didn't see any designated parking. So, be careful pulling off the road to park and crossing to the stairs. The bridge is listed as 121 feet long though I don't know if that is the total length or just the length of the span over Sugar Creek. The bridge features the standard Burr Arch-truss support system and uses the standard red and white colors with black lettering. You can walk through the bridge and because it is no longer used for traffic, you can get some decent views of the bridge as you move around the grounds on either end. Review #3229

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss bridge was constructed in 1920 by Joseph A. Britton and his son…read moreEugene. It carries County Road 130E across Little Raccoon Creek. Still in use, the bridge is best approached by turning south from the Rockville-Bridgeton road on CR 130E, which is paved on the northern end. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, this is #14 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map. Here you can walk under the bridge and examine the structure in detail, although it does take a bit of effort to get up and down the embankments to the stream bed.

If you are a bit of an adventurer, then venture off the planned trails of Parke County (the red and…read moreblack trails come closest) to find this newer addition to the covered bridges. Built in 1920, this is another Burr arch-truss structure over the often crossed Little Raccoon Creek. The bridge covers a span of about 152 feet with an overall length of 169 feet which makes it a middle sized bridge for the state. The bridge has the standard red and white coloring with black lettering on the exterior. No windows are located inside this active bridge though there is venting along the top of the side walls. Because there is no parking here and the bridge is active, it is tough to get out and walk around the bridge without putting yourself and your vehicle at risk of oncoming traffic. Fortunately, if you are paying attention, there are long sight lines in both directions. The easiest way to get here is still going to require travel over unpaved/gravel roads. From Bridgeton Road, take CR 600S (2.5 miles from Bridgeton, nearly 8 miles from Rockville). Head west about 1.5 miles to CR 130E. Turn north and follow about 1000 feet to the bridge. You will have to drive to the next crossroad to turn around or you can continue north to CR 400S and head east back to Bridgeton Road. Review #1373

This is one of the more remote of the 31 surviving covered bridges in Parke County. It was…read moreconstructed by Joseph A. Britton in 1908 (one of his 12 surviving bridges in the county) to span Rock Run creek. It is a wonderful example of the Single Span Burr Arch Truss design, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is on Tick Ridge Road, just to the east of its terminus at 325W road. The well maintained gravel roads offer three different approaches to the bridge. We filmed it about a week after peak fall foliage, when a sea of fallen leaves and the fading color on the surrounding trees accentuated its beauty while allowing unobstructed photo possibilities. Late fall and winter are ideal for photographing the bridges of Parke County. #20 on the Parke County Covered Bridge map.

Just a few miles off the Red Route for touring Parke County Covered Bridges is the Zacke Cox…read moreCovered Bridge south of Mecca, IN. The Burr arch-truss style bridge was built in 1908 and restored in 1991 and again in 2002, so it is in good shape. The bridge is still in service though traffic is told to greatly reduce speeds to a walking pace to cross the span. The red and white bridge with black lettering has a total length of a tiny 53 feet with a span of around 51 feet which crosses the Rock Run. To find this bridge, take US 41 west of Rockville just passed Mecca Road to CR 325W (4.3 miles). Head south for 2.5 miles to reach Tickridge Road. Head east one half mile to reach the bridge. Note that Tickridge is a gravel road. Also of interest is that this bridge is just a miles away from Harry Evans Covered Bridge and Roseville Covered Bridge. Both are farther south on CR 325W which becomes a gravel road until it reaches Coxville, IN. Review #3204

This 104 foot span was constructed in 1876 to bridge Little Raccoon Creek, near Possum Bottom. It…read morewas moved in 1972/73 to its current location in the Ernie Pyle rest area on US 36 between Dana and Rockville. It is one of 4 surviving covered bridges in Vermillion County. There are restrooms here, but they are of the pit variety, and need some work. The bridge itself is in good shape, and open to pedestrians year around.

The thing about covered bridges is that most were not named or dedicated with specific names when…read morethey opened in the 1850-1890's. So it isn't than unusual when a bridge has more than one name. Such is the case of this relocated bridge that sits along US 36 east of Dana, Indiana. Known as both Possum Bottom and as Hillsdale, the covered bridge has been preserved and now rests over a small runoff area...no creek around. The covered bridge was built in 1876 and totals 124 feet in length. The longest span is 104 feet. The bridge is in good condition, but lacks the charm of those that span water and have windows to look out. Still, it is looking good for being over 140 years old. Review #2832

The Crooks Covered Bridge is lovely, surrounded by corn fields in a picturesque setting. The bridge…read morecrosses little Raccoon Creek and was built by Henry Wolfe in 1856, making it the oldest bridge on the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival Tour. The bridge seems to be in remarkably good shape for its age. According to the Parke County map the bridge is passable by car, but there were many nail pops throughout the bridge deck, so we only crossed by foot. A modern raised road crosses creek next to the bridge for use when the creek is low. The gravel roads are narrow approaching the bridge. There is space to park and walk around the bridge. I love how the reflection of the bridge in the water.

Step back in time take a stroll across history. Located across a small stream down a gravel road…read more Makes a nice stop to stretch your legs or take a dip in the stream

Situated about half a mile north of Coxville on County Road 325W (gravel), this Single Span Double…read moreBurr Arch Truss structure was built by Joseph A. Britton in 1908 to span Rock Run Creek. The bridge is still in use, although it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. #19 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map, it is but one of the twelve covered bridges that Britton put up in this county.

Just a few miles off the Red Route for touring Parke County Covered Bridges is the Harry Evans…read moreCovered Bridge between Mecca and Coxville, IN. The Burr arch-truss style bridge was built in 1908 and restored in 1977, so it is in pretty good shape. The bridge is still in service though traffic is told to greatly reduce speeds to a walking pace to cross the span. The red and white bridge with black lettering has a total length of a modest 81 feet with a span of around 61 feet which crosses the Rock Run. To find this bridge, take US 41 west of Rockville just passed Mecca Road to CR 325W (4.3 miles). Head south for 5 miles to reach the bridge. Much of this is gravel road. Also of interest is that this bridge is only 0.8 miles away from Roseville Covered Bridge which is also on CR 325W to the south. Zacke Cox Covered Bridge is fairly close to the north along CR 325W, half a mile east on Tickridge Road. If you are coming from Rosedale, take Main Street/Coxville Road north 2.25 miles to Coxville and CR 325W. Head east/north for about 1 mile on CR 325W. Review #3203

In 1906, J. Larence Van Fossen put up this Single Span Double Burr Arch Truss bridge to carry…read moreCounty Road 550E across Big Raccoon Creek. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, all approaches to this bridge are via gravel surfaces. The bridge is still in use, and can be reached from US59 via County Road 720S, or from the Mansfield-Bridgeton road via Mace road.

Although this covered bridge is listed on the Parke County tourist map, it is not included on any…read moreof the specific trails, so I'm guessing it is one of the least frequented bridges in the county. If you are in south east Parke County near Mansfield, the bridge isn't too hard to find. Simply take SR 59 to 720S, head west for 1.4 miles to 550E and head north for about .3 miles. Note that you will have to travel on a gravel road at least part of the way, so you may need to deal with dust and/or dirt flying off your car and your travel speeds will be greatly reduced. Built in 1906-7 (The bridge label says '06, but all the supporting websites say '07), the bridge is still in service though you have to cross at a slow/walking pace to cross it. Note that there isn't any pull off for parking, so you just have to be careful to watch for traffic and get over as much as you can. The bridge has the standard Parke County colors of red shed with a white face and black lettering. The Burr arch-truss bridge is 211' long with a span of 190' (or 192' depending upon sources). The bridge hasn't undergone much restoration, so it looked like it could use some attention to fix up some weathering damage. Nothing spectacular about this bridge from either a size or age point of view, but if you are in the area and like to check out covered bridges, it is pretty easy to find. Review #3157