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

Originally crossing Roaring Creek, the Beeson Covered Bridge was moved to this location in December…read more1979. It is a single span Burr Arch covered bridge that was built in 1906 by the Frankfurt Construction Company, the only surviving bridge in Parke County that was built by a professional construction company. It is 55 feet long and has a clearance of 12 feet 6 inches. Only open to pedestrians at this time. And it's still in very good condition considering that it has survived TWO arsons. Gosh, people suck! It is one of the set pieces that is part of the Billie Creek Village. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Park County Covered Bridge Festival.

The Beeson Covered Bridge was moved to Billie Creek Village in 1980. A plaque says that the Burr…read moreArch bridge was built in 1906 by Frankfort Construction Company. The bridge originally crossed Roaring Creek in Marshal Indiana. The bridge is only opened to pedestrian traffic. I walked the 120 year old bridge several times. Some of the side panels seem to be in disrepair. Festive string lights hang inside the bridge. The bridge is part of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, but I like visiting these bridge at other times to avoid the crowds. There is nearby free parking.

Billie Creek Covered Bridge is the only covered bridge that is original to the Billie Creek…read moreVillage. The Burr Arch bridge was built by J. J. Daniels in 1895 over Williams Creek, just east of Rockville. The single lane bridge was open to traffic during our visit and we drove across. I love to hear the echo and feel the vibration when I drive across these old covered bridges. We crossed "at a walk" of course. The bridge is part of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. I like to visit the bridges off season when there are no crowds around.

One of the covered bridges in Billie Creek Village, it is the only one that is still open to…read morevehicles. And even better, the clearance and capacity were sufficient to fit my Sprinter van. It is a single lane. A Burr Arch Truss that was built by prolific builder Joseph J. Daniels, this one was completed in 1895. It was originally part of the roadway that would become US 36 nearby. The Howard and Hollandsburg Bridges nearby did get saved. Despite being open to traffic, it is still in excellent condition and well worth a visit. I believe it's a "star" in the annual Covered Bridge Festival. [Review 1295 of 2024 - 172 in Indiana - 22318 overall]

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss design was built by Joseph A. Britton in 1883 to span Leatherwood…read moreCreek. It is located about six miles west of Rockville, just off US36 on Country Road 4. It is normally visited in tandem with the nearby Phillips covered bridge. This was the third of Britton's twelve covered bridges in Parke County, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is #23 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Southeast of Montezuma, Indiana is a relatively old covered bridge dating back to 1883…read more Fortunately, it underwent some restoration in 1997 to keep it still in service today. The Sim Smith Bridge is about 102 feet in length with a span of 81 feet crossing the Leatherwood Creek. It is a Burr Arch-truss structure with the standard Parke County colors of red and white with black lettering. The good news is the road is paved. The bad news is there isn't a pull off spot, so be careful! The bridge is located on the "brown" route of the Parke County tour trails. To find this bridge, head east from Montezuma along US 36 about 2.5 miles to CR 510W. Head south about a third of a mile and the bridge should be within view on W 40N. You can also find it from Rockville by traveling west 5.5 miles on US 36 the same county road. Review #3216

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

This Single Span Double Burr Arch Truss carries Bloomingdale Road across Sugar Creek. Paving makes…read morethis bridge easy to access. It is one of nine covered bridges put up by J.J. Daniels (1861) in Parke County, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is #28 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Dating back to the Civil War, this Burr Arch-truss covered bridge was built in 1861. This is one…read moreof the oldest and longest bridges in Parke County. It is also unusual because it uses an all white paint scheme with black lettering, not the red walls that are found throughout the county. The bridge is still in service but requires slow, walking pace driving for safety as well as avoiding a problem with oncoming traffic. Jackson Bridge has an overall length of 227 feet and spans Sugar Creek 198 feet. It is located about ten miles north of Rockville, IN via US-41, then a short county road jog over to Bdale (Bloomingdale) Road northwest for the remaining distance. There is no direct route from Turkey Run State Park, but a slight detour south on US 41 down to 625 N will take you west to Bdale Road where you can then visit the bridge. Review #3222

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

The Eugene Covered Bridge is one of the most accessible bridges in the area. Since the bridge was…read moreclosed to vehicular traffic in 1974, it allows for more exploration of the inside of the bridge without fear of being run over. The bridge was built in 1873 by JJ Daniels using the Burr Arch-truss system. Built over the Vermillion River, the bridge is 187 feet long, with the longest span being 176.8 feet. The bridge also has convenient parking and windows on each side that makes it easy to get great views of the river. The covered bridge uses the familiar red sides and white faced openings of the area. Review #2834

EAGLE CAFÉ AND COVERED BRIDGE I had breakfast for dinner. It…read morewas very good, and the portions were decent. The price was very fair like most restaurants here. The server was efficient and friendly. Most of the servers at these small-town restaurants are like this. I could hear a few conversations around me. I could tell these were mostly farmers. It was very quaint. Being from California, I really appreciate this hometown type of restaurant. I wasn't there for the restaurant. That was just an extra perk. I was there for the covered bridge of the same name next to it. I left Nika in the car to eat and then walked her around the bridge. There was a dog on the other side of the bridge that was chained up out back that barked the at Nika the whole time. The bridge was beautiful as most of them are. I have a fascination for covered bridges. There are none in California. I have been to several since I've been living in Indiana. This one, as most do, has a stream under it. There is easy access to the stream unlike most covered bridges.