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.

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

Another of the many covered bridges in this town! You can get to this bridge off of US 41.read more

Constructed in 1906 and rebuilt in 1991, this Single Span Burr Arch Truss bridge is one of three…read morecovered bridges built by William Hendricks in Parke County. It takes the gravel surface of Cox Ford Road across Sugar Mill Creek. The bridge is easily accessible from US 41. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This is #35 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

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.

Amidst corn fields, the Conley's Ford Covered Bridge once shepherded travelers over Big Raccoon…read moreCreek since 1906. But today, I was sad to find the historic bridge standing lonely, barricaded and closed to all traffic, including foot traffic. Extensive damage to the west wall of the bridge was evident. The road was blocked to the bridge, so we parked and walked the 0.2 mile to the bridge. Trees were down near the bridge and the ground was muddy. The bridge was built by J. Lawrence Van Fossen in 1906. The 192' bridge is designed with a double Burr Arch truss. The bridge is unusual in that it is constructed of white pine verses poplar. I'm not sure if there are plans to repair the bridge, but she certainly needs some love.

The Oakalla Covered Bridge is currently closed to automobile traffic. The bridge crosses the big…read moreWalnut Creek in a remote and beautiful wooded area of Putnam County. We parked on the west side of the bridge and walked across the span. Several windows in the bridge offer views of the creek below. A path down to the creek on the east side offers great creek views of the bridge and stone abutments. We enjoyed some creek stomping. I found information about the bridge at the Putnam County Visitors Center. The single lane bridge spans 152 feet and uses a Burr Arch Truss. The bridge was built by the famous J. J. Daniels in 1898.

The Oakalla Covered Bridge sits just west of Greencastle, and coming from the better maintained…read moreDunbar Bridge barely ten minutes earlier, this one immediately feels older and far less refreshed. It was built in 1898 by noted Indiana bridgewright J.J. Daniels and spans Big Walnut Creek using a classic Burr-arch truss design. Since it is closed to traffic, I was only able to walk through it, which made the aging details stand out even more. The paint is peeling in big strips, several exterior boards are split, and the siding shows the kind of weathering that comes from decades without a full restoration. Oakalla takes its name from the former Oakalla Station on the Big Four Railroad, a small community that once supported quarries and lime kilns before fading away in the early twentieth century. The bridge's decline mirrors the area's history. As quarry operations shut down and roads shifted, Oakalla saw less use, and Putnam County eventually closed it to vehicles in 2022 after inspectors found structural issues. Even so, it remains historically significant. In May 2024, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, joining Putnam County's other surviving Daniels bridges. Today it stands as a weathered but authentic piece of local history. As a bridge that hasn't been recently refreshed, it still wears its age openly while awaiting the kind of rehabilitation that could bring it back to the condition of its better-maintained sisters. [Review 1041 of 2026 - 245 in Indiana - 26220 overall]

I'm on a quest to visit all the covered bridges in Indiana. Covered bridges connect us with the…read morepast. The Leatherwood Station Covered Bridge was built by the famous Indiana bridge builder, J. A. Britton in 1899. The Burr Arch bridge originally crossed Leatherwood Creek at Leatherwood Station, Indiana. The bridge was moved to Billie Creek Village, where it stands today and is open to traffic (sometimes). I've walked across several of Britton's bridges now, and they seem familiar to me. Britton built approximately 40 bridges in Indiana during his lifetime. This 72' bridge is in exceptional condition. The bridge is part of the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, but I prefer to visit off season to avoid the crowds. There is free parking at Billie Creek Village. There are three covered bridges at the site, each with its own story. Interesting side fact, leatherwood is a tree with a pliable bark that was used by indigenous people and early settlers to make rope and other useful materials. I assume that there are leatherwood trees along Leatherwood Creek.

This is one of three covered bridges inside Billie Creek Village. J.A. Britton put up this Single…read moreSpan Burr Arch Truss design in 1899 to span Leatherwood Creek at the Leatherwood train station. The bridge was moved to its current location over Williams Creek in 1981. Also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, this is #25 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Crossing Indiana from east to west on this trip, it turns out that the Houck Covered Bridge is the…read morelast one I will visit on this trip. It's not my favorite - that honor goes to the Dunbar Bridge that is still open to traffic and I could drive through - but this is still a fabulous bridge with a long, well-documented history. The Houck Covered Bridge was built in 1880 by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon Ohio. It uses a two-span Howe truss design, a system patented in 1840 that combined timber with adjustable iron rods for greater strength. The bridge originally carried County Road 550 South over Big Walnut Creek in Washington Township near Manhattan, resting on cut-limestone abutments and a central pier nearly 13 feet tall. Traffic declined after improved routes through nearby Hamrick Station were built in the 1930s and in 2014 Putnam County officials officially bypassed the bridge and restored it to pedestrian-only use. Houck gained formal recognition when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, part of a county-wide nomination covering all surviving covered bridges. The bridge might not be drivable any longer but it is still a beautifully preserved example of 19th-century engineering and a fitting final stop on a westbound covered-bridge tour. [Review 1043 of 2026 - 247 in Indiana - 26222 overall]

Houck Covered Bridge is a historic bridge constructed in 1880. The bridge crosses Big Walnut Creek…read moreand is no longer open to traffic, but can be walked across by pedestrians. The Howe Truss design was built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Ohio. The bridge is 210 feet long and sits on stone abutments and a pier. The Houck Covered Bridge is longest of three covered bridges over the Big Walnut Creek that we visited in Putnam County. The Putnam County Visitors Center provides free maps of the Counties nine covered bridges. I walked the length of the covered bridge and took photos. The Houck Covered Bridge was bypassed in 2014 for a new bridge, but is fortunately maintained for historical purposes. The bridge was named after the Houck family who owned the nearby property when it was built. The bridge was also referred to as the Hamrick Bridge after the Hamrick RR Station, a proposed Pennsylvania RR Station. Parking is available for four cars at the west side of the bridge. There are no other amenities at the site, except a good fishing hole.

Still in Parke County but outside Rockville, this is another Joseph A. Britton covered bridge that…read morehe completed in 1913. It is a single-span Burr Arch structure. This is originally the site of two other bridges that had been washed away before this one, the State Sanatorium Covered Bridge, was moved to here. It is open to traffic But I opted to take the bypass with the Sprinter van. The road to the east is hard packed dirt and not a great run. Total length of 170 feed with a clearance of 12.5 feet, it would have been fine for my heavy van but I thought, let's not today. [Review 1297 of 2024 - 174 in Indiana - 22320 overall]

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss originally crossed Little Raccoon Creek on State Sanatorium…read moreproperty, about a mile downstream from its current location. It was moved in 2008 to carry County Road 100N across Little Raccoon Creek. #1 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the bridge was built by J.A. Britton in 1913-- one of the twelve covered bridges that he constructed in the county.