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    Humpback Covered Bridge

    4.8 (18 reviews)

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    Beautiful place for a family picnic and photo opportunities. It's a beautiful area to visit anytime of year. I recommend Fall so you can enjoy the fall foliage on your drive thru the mountains.

    Melissa B.

    Tony and I stopped at Historical Humpback Covered Bridge about 3 miles West of Covington, VA. It's located at a wayside 5 acre Park with picnic tables and grills along side a creek Great for fishing. No public bathrooms or playground equipment. The Bridge is the Oldest Covered Bridge in the state of Virginia and The ONLY Humpback Covered Bridge in America. It was made by hand hewn timer in 1835 as part of the James River Kanawha Turnpike Corporation. Located on Route 60, 3 miles West of Covington VA at exit 10 off I-64 There is a sign and easy to find.

    Morris N.

    This is a cool historic bridge that's worth a stop to see. It's easy on/off of I-64. There were a bunch of people down by the creek hanging out in the water.

    Sally H.

    This was a great stop with the kids. We liked walking the bridge and liked that you could get down into the water. The LOVE artwork is great for photos!

    Carissa K.

    Humpback Covered Bridge (HCB) is the oldest remaining covered bridge in Virginia. The plaque at the site says it was built in 1835 and constructed by hand hewn timbers, but according to other information I found online, HCB succeeded three other bridges mostly due to floods. It continued as a working bridge until 1929, and it became a registered Virginia Historic Landmark. I knew I wanted to check it out during my mini summer vacation with my sons even though it was a bit of a drive to get there. Once we arrived today, it was well worth it. HCB is a 100-foot-long, single-span structure, and it got its name because it is four feet higher in the center compared to the ends. The bridge is in beautiful shape thanks to restoration except for the graffiti inside. The grounds around the bridge are also lovely and it is a wonderful spot to have a picnic. My boys and I enjoyed walking around, saw a rabbit in a field nearby, took photos, and listened to the creek. Here are some highlights: * Picnic Tables and grills *Placard with brochures * Port-a-potties with sink * Lots of parking * Great photo ops including a LOVEwork * Dunlap Creek flows underneath HCB * Watch a video about the restoration of HCB before visiting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbkIiHCeSw4) Additional Info: Here is a list of covered bridges in U.S.: http://www.coveredbridgemap.com/ National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges http://www.coveredbridgesociety.org/ Covered Bridges: Spanning the American Landscape (this is a .pdf and HCB is on the cover) http://www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/Covered%20Bridges.pdf

    Richard R.

    Humpback Bridge is thee covered bridge of all covered bridges. It not only is the oldest in the state of Virginia and one of the oldest in the country, but it has the most unique in design. It gets its name from the arched construction of its hand hewed timbers making it higher in the middle than at either of its entry points. It was first opened to traffic in 1857 at a length of 108 feet. Prior to opening, three other bridges were built at this location and each was destroyed due to flood/weathering in 1837, 1842 and 1856 respectively. To avoid this fourth edition having the same fate of the original three, the design was modified to help the bridge avoid any further damage from floods. The result is a one of a kind structure that stood uniquely for over 150 years until the humped design was duplicated by the opening of the Old Salem Heritage Bridge in Winston-Salem NC: http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-salem-heritage-bridge-winston-salem Typical of many old covered bridges that became private property, Humpback served as a hay barn once it was decommissioned/bypassed in the late 1920's. A group of activists along with the Chamber of Commerce raised funds to restore the bridge 1954. It most recently went under extensive renovations by the LOVE project in 2013 using funds from the National Historic Covered Bridge Program. FINAL THOUGHTS The LOVE project is part of Virginia's social media campaign promoting Virginia as a state for lovers and that "love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation." If you view the bridge just right, you will see the word love spelled out in front of you. Using a V-shaped tree growing near the bridge, the project used materials with significant heritage of the Alleghany Highlands. The info sign says the "L" is made from historic bricks while the "O" is a gear from a retired paper mill and the "E" is made of railroad ties, giving homage to the historic importance of railroads to the region. It really is quite fascinating and as unique as the bridge itself. I LOVE covered bridges and I LOVE what they have done to preserve this amazing and spectacular piece of American engineering history. There are plenty of picnic tables and even portapotties if you choose to say a while. If this weren't the last stop on a long two week road trip I would have giving several hours to just lounging here. But the family was ready to get home and urged me back into the car. Since they are my first LOVE, I obliged with their wishes, but someday I'll be back to see this beauty again.

    Facing the bridge from the parking lot
    Becky T.

    What a great little surprise we found when making a pit stop for my four-year-old to use the restroom on our way home to Ohio from Virginia! I saw the highway sign for Humpback Bridge when he first mentioned he needed to go, and thought, if we have to stop, might as well make it interesting. This little covered bridge is a gem. The river here is gorgeous and the L-O-V-E spelled out on the riverbank is very cool. Check it out if you're in the area!

    Side view when you approach from the main road.
    Rose M.

    It nice to get out and not only see history still intake but so great modern art as well. This is one of a few covered bridges left to explore not only in the U.S but in VA! The bridge is located in the Western part of VA. It is part of a small park. Picnic tables, a small stream and parking area are available. You can walk around and get some different views of the bridge as well as walk through the bridge. It is only for people to explore! The bridge itself looks well maintained despite the many, many signatures of who knows how long scribed inside throughout the whole inside. I obviously went here during the wintertime but I bet it would look beautiful through all the seasons. Good place to visit or stop for a picnic as your passing through the area.

    S R.

    This landmark is historic and beautiful. Our family had a blast going across the bridge, exploring the riverbed and river rocks. Perfect place for a picnic! Be sure to have the kids bring bathing suits for fun in the water during the summertime. The LOVE sign is a nice addition to this place.

    D P.

    This is a cute little stop to hit if you're in the Covington area. So cute, charming and historical. Would be a nice spot to eat lunch, take pictures, or play in the creek. Falling Spring Falls is nearby to visit as well.

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    3 years ago

    Pretty scenic place for pictures. A good place to stretch legs when traveling. No public restrooms

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    10 years ago

    Clear water and a great historical bridge. Near the highway. Glad my fam and I stopped by to check it out.

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    Review Highlights - Humpback Covered Bridge

    I saw the highway sign for Humpback Bridge when he first mentioned he needed to go, and thought, if we have to stop, might as well make it interesting.

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    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge - Sinking Creek Covered Bridge, Newport

    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge

    5.0(2 reviews)
    42.1 mi

    Sinking Creek Bridge is a 70-foot-long red wooden bridge with a tin roof, built in 1916. It is on…read morepublic land and is accessible to the public. Hard to reach, but accessible. It is a single bow-arched Burr truss spanning the creek and supported on stone abutments. The bridge has weatherboarded walls and a gable roof carried on numerous interior cross-braced rafters. Of course, it is closed to vehicular traffic but there is a park around the area and so you can stop by and walk across. Do it. [Review 19581 overall - 1419 in Virginia - 552 of 2023.]

    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge is one of two bridges over Sinking Creek in Newport, VA. Some have…read morereferred to this as Clover Hollow Covered Bridge, but that name is incorrect as verified by BridgeHunter.com and Virginia's Department of Transportation. Sinking Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1916 using a modified version of the Howe Truss technique invented by William Howe in 1840, which became widely used as a building method in the mid to late 1800's. The bridge is one of only six remaining historic covered bridges in Virginia. I've actually had the pleasure to visit two other Virginia bridges: Meem's Bottom & Humpback which are two of my favorite covered bridges in the United States, Humpback being unique for its arched design. The bridge has a 70 foot span and its approach (the raised area leading to the bridge) is paved with memorial bricks displaying the names of contributors. The lawn around the bridge was nicely manicured and included a picnic table and sitting bench near the opening of the bridge. The chosen color of the bridge is a lovely barn red. The creek itself has an interesting story as just a few miles downstream it tends to disappear underground if water flow is low... like during our visit. A strange and unusual natural phenomenon that gives the creek its name. ENJOY!!! STATS LOCATION: over Sinking Creek on Old Clover Hollow Rd in Giles County STATUS: Active, but closed to vehicular traffic HISTORY: bypassed in 1949, then closed to traffic 1964. Renovated in 2000, damaged during tropical storm Gaston in 2004. 2020 / 33

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    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge - Sinking Creek Covered Bridge, Newport

    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge, Newport

    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge
    Sinking Creek Covered Bridge

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    Humpback Covered Bridge - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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