Bedford County, in southern Pennsylvania on the Maryland line, has 14 historic covered bridges, according to the Bedford County Visitors Bureau. Twelve of them were added to the National Register of Historic Places on the same day, April 10, 1980. This guide covers Bedford County, Pennsylvania only, not the counties of the same name in Virginia or Tennessee.
All 14 are in our directory. This guide groups 13 of them into four drives by area, with a map link for every stop. The first two drives follow the visitors bureau's Covered Bridge Driving Tour, which links 9 bridges in about 40 miles and 90 minutes, starting at Old Bedford Village just north of the town of Bedford. Nine of the 14 bridges still carry traffic, and 12 of them use a Burr arch truss.
Quick facts
- Longest: Herline Covered Bridge, 136 ft over the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River north of Manns Choice. The visitors bureau's tour calls it the longest covered bridge in the county.
- Oldest: Dr. Kniseley Covered Bridge, built in 1867 over Dunning Creek. It is on private property and can be seen from Dunnings Creek Road.
- Different trusses: Colvin and Fischtner use a multiple kingpost truss. They are the only two of the county's 14 without a Burr arch.
- Rebuilt after a fire: Ryot Covered Bridge was set on fire by arsonists in 2002. Bedford County rebuilt it, and it reopened to traffic in 2004.
- Drive-through bridges: 9 of the 14. Bowser is bypassed, and four more are on private property.
Tour part 1: Old Bedford Village to Dunning Creek
Six bridges north of Bedford, in the order the visitors bureau's tour takes them. Start at Claycomb, which was moved from Reynoldsdale to the entrance of Old Bedford Village in 1975. The county owns it, so you do not need to enter the museum to see it. Head north to Osterburg for Bowser, which stands beside the modern bridge that replaced it in 1973. Then follow Dunning Creek west past Snook's, Dr. Kniseley, Ryot and Cuppett's. You can drive through Snook's and Ryot. Dr. Kniseley and Cuppett's are privately owned, so view them from the road.
| Bridge | Township | Built | Length | Crosses | Access | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claycomb | Bedford Twp., Old Bedford Village | 1880 | 126 ft | Raystown Branch of the Juniata River | Drive through | Map |
| Bowser | East St. Clair Twp., near Osterburg | 1890 | 90 ft | Bobs Creek | Bypassed, beside Route 869 | Map |
| Snook's | East St. Clair Twp. | 1883 | 82 ft | Dunning Creek | Drive through | Map |
| Dr. Kniseley | West St. Clair Twp. | 1867 | 80 ft | Dunning Creek | Private property, view from Dunnings Creek Road only | Map |
| Ryot | West St. Clair Twp. | c. 1880s | 84 ft | Dunning Creek | Drive through | Map |
| Cuppett's | Napier Twp., north of New Paris | 1882 | 70 ft | Dunning Creek | Private property, view from Route 96 only | Map |
Tour part 2: Schellsburg and Manns Choice
Three bridges on the second half of the tour, west of Bedford. Colvin is on Mill Road just south of US 30 at Schellsburg, at the edge of Shawnee State Park, with a parking lot on its north side. Turner's is on Faupel Road, a gravel road that dead-ends at the Pennsylvania Turnpike just past the bridge. End at Herline on Watson Road, north of Manns Choice, then return east to Bedford.
| Bridge | Township | Built | Length | Crosses | Access | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colvin | Napier Twp., near Schellsburg | 1880 | 66 ft | Shawnee Creek | Drive through | Map |
| Turner's | Harrison Twp. | c. 1892 | 88 ft | Raystown Branch of the Juniata River | Drive through | Map |
| Herline | Harrison and Napier Twps. | 1902 | 136 ft | Raystown Branch of the Juniata River | Drive through | Map |
East: Hopewell and Breezewood
Three bridges in the eastern half of the county, not on the visitors bureau's tour. Start at Halls Mill on St. Pauls Church Road, north of Everett. Then head south to Breezewood and take East Mattie Road east to the two Brush Creek bridges. Jacksons Mill is on Covered Bridge Road, off Jackson Mill Road; it is a different bridge from the Jackson's Mill bridges in Lancaster and Washington counties. Feltons Mill, farther along East Mattie Road, is privately owned and in very poor condition. You can see it from the concrete bridge on East Mattie Road.
| Bridge | Township | Built | Length | Crosses | Access | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halls Mill | Hopewell Twp. | 1872 | 91 ft | Yellow Creek | Drive through | Map |
| Jacksons Mill | East Providence Twp. | 1889 | 91 ft | Brush Creek | Drive through | Map |
| Feltons Mill | East Providence Twp. | 1892 | 105 ft | Brush Creek | Private property, view from East Mattie Road only | Map |
Hewitt: the southern end
One bridge near the Maryland line, south of Bedford. Hewitt carries Covered Bridge Road over Town Creek, 0.4 mile east of Town Creek Road at the village of Hewitt. It was taken apart and restored in 1999 and 2000 and reopened to traffic in October 2000.
| Bridge | Township | Built | Length | Crosses | Access | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hewitt | Southampton Twp. | 1879 | 88 ft | Town Creek | Drive through | Map |
Other Bedford County bridges
Fischtner Covered Bridge (1880), also called the Palo Alto Bridge, crosses Gladdens Run in Londonderry Township, near Hyndman in the southwestern part of the county. It has been bypassed and now serves a group of private homes, and it is posted against trespassing. It is on private property. Do not enter without the owner's permission.
Tips for visiting
- Get the official tour. The Bedford County Visitors Bureau offers its Covered Bridge Driving Tour as a download. It starts at Old Bedford Village, off Business Route 220 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike exit.
- Mind the gravel road to Turner's. Faupel Road is gravel, and you drive through the bridge to a turnaround before the Turnpike.
- Park off the road. There is nowhere to park along Route 96 at Cuppett's, according to Uncovering PA. Bowser has a pull-off on Route 869, and Dr. Kniseley has a small pull-off on Dunnings Creek Road.
- Respect private land. Cuppett's, Dr. Kniseley, Feltons Mill and Fischtner are on private property. Stay on public roads and obey posted signs.
- Gravity Hill side trip. The visitors bureau's tour includes an optional stop at Gravity Hill off Route 96 past New Paris. The bureau advises skipping it if you are towing a trailer or driving an RV, because turning around can be hard.
Sources: Bedford County Visitors Bureau: Covered Bridges, Bedford County Visitors Bureau: Covered Bridge Driving Tour (PDF), Wikipedia: National Register of Historic Places listings in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Uncovering PA: Covered Bridges of Bedford County
See every Pennsylvania bridge on our Pennsylvania page, read the Lancaster County guide, or browse the full index by state.