RV + the back roads
Covered-bridge country by region
Few drives feel as unhurried as a covered-bridge loop — timber spans from the 1800s strung along farm roads and river valleys, best in October when the hardwoods turn. These are the regions worth building a trip around, each drawn from an official county or state registry with a campground to base at. One rule throughout: these are fragile historic structures with strict weight and height limits, so park the rig and walk in — never drive an RV through a covered bridge.
Feel the route
October foliage is the classic window — base nearby and walk each span.
Parke County Covered Bridges
Best in early-to-mid October when fall foliage peaks
31 historic covered bridges · Oldest 1856 (Portland Mills)
Lancaster County Covered Bridges
Late September through late October for Amish-country fall color
20 county-maintained covered bridges · Mostly mid-1800s Burr Truss
Ashtabula County Covered Bridges
Peak in October
19 covered bridges (17 drive-through) · Built 1867-2016
Vermont Covered Bridges
Last week of September through mid-October for legendary Vermont foliage
About 100 covered bridges · Dating from 1820
New Hampshire Covered Bridges
Late September through mid-October for White Mountains and river-valley foliage
54 covered bridges · Historic timber spans
Cottage Grove Covered Bridges
Summer and early fall for dry roads and the Row River Trail
6 covered bridges in/around town · Built 1920-1997
Madison County Covered Bridges
September through October
6 covered bridges remaining (5 original) · Built 1868-1889
When it happens
October falls inside every route's window
| January | 0 |
|---|---|
| February | 0 |
| March | 0 |
| April | 0 |
| May | 0 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 0 |
| September | 4 |
| October | 7 |
| November | 0 |
| December | 0 |
Counted from the window each route gives on its own page — 7 of 7 name specific months. Timing shifts year to year; confirm with the agency before you book.
The bridges stand all year — what the windows here track is the light and the foliage around them, which is when most people come to photograph them.
The reason this section exists on an RV site is less romantic. A historic covered bridge is a posted structure: it carries a weight limit and a clearance, both often well below what a motorhome needs, and some are one-lane with no room to reconsider halfway across. Read the posted limits before the approach and plan to park and walk — the photograph is the same and the bridge survives another century.
Where you would base
States with a bridge route on this page
Check before you go
The 7 agencies these pages cite
- Parke County, Indiana — Official Covered Bridges Tourism
- Lancaster County, PA — Official County Government Covered Bridges
- Visit Ashtabula County — Official County Tourism
- Vermont Tourism — Official State Covered Bridges Guide
- Visit NH — Official State of New Hampshire Tourism
- City of Cottage Grove, Oregon — Official Covered Bridges Page
- Explore Madison County — Official County Tourism