The Covered Bridges of Missouri Road Trip

A relic of earlier times in America, covered bridges still hold sentimental charm. In Missouri there are a handful you can still see and experience. While seeing them anytime is fun, the fall might be the perfect time to take them in.

They exude charisma and character, covered bridges are great for social media too.

At one point, after the civil war there were about 30 covered bridges in the Show-me state. The remaining four are all off the beaten path in rural areas. These bridges aren’t for driving anymore but you can still visit them up close in all their nostalgia and glory, knowing that you may have had grandparents or great grandparents who traversed them in their day

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Union Creek Covered Bridge – SW of Paris, Mo. From 1871 over the Elk Fork or the Salt River. It’s on the national register of historic places and hasn’t had vehicle traffic since 1970.

Locust Creek Covered Bridge – SW of Laclede, Mo. From 1868 it is the longest of the Missouri covered bridges, also on the national register of historic places. It spans a dry creek bed now.

Sandy Creek Covered Bridge – North of Hillsboro, Mo. Built in 1872. Rebuilt in 1886 after a flood, then restored in 1984.   

Burfordville Covered Bridge – Burfordville, Mo. The crown jewel of Missouri covered bridges. This one sits next to the old Bollinger Mill west of Jackson, Missouri crossing Upper Whitewater Creek. Completed in 1868 after the Mill was built, it was originally a toll bridge (on a toll road).

All of these covered bridges are on the National Register of Historic Places, and part of the Missouri State Park system. They all have their own grace and appeal, and are waiting for you to stop by for a visit.