Covered bridges are practical – they keep snow off the bridge – and beautiful. Generally built in the mid-nineteenth century, several hundred covered bridges still pepper the Central Vermont landscape. Several of these iconic bridges can be found near Woodstock, Vermont, one is even conveniently located in the center of town.

Below there are two possible itineraries. One that you can explore as you travel East on Route 4 after getting off of I-91. The other takes you off of I-91 for the last stretch of the trip into Woodstock. By skipping the Quechee Bridge, you can link the two itineraries.

You can also fuse Itinerary 1 with Craft Brew Tour 3.

Itinerary 1: Traveling South-North on Route 12/Route 5:

No list of covered bridges is complete without the most famous of bridge of all:

  1. Cornish-Windsor Bridge

    Crosses the Connecticut River between Bridge Street, Windsor, VT, and NH Route 12A, Cornish, NH

    Location: Windsor. 0.3 miles south of the junction of Route 44 at Windsor on US5 then 0.2 miles left.

    43.47382°N 72.383981°W

    Built in 1866, the Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world.

  2. Martins Mill Covered Bridge

    Location: Hartland. East off Route 5. Travel 0.4 mile north of the junction I-91 on US5; then 0.6 miles right on Martinsville Road.

    43.5326°N 72.3959°W

    The Martins Mill, or Martinsville Bridge, was built in 1881. You can park to the right before crossing the bridge.

    Swimming spot: There is a pristine swimming hole right below the bridge. It requires a bit of a scramble, but there is a sandy pool at the bottom that is surrounded by small waterfalls.

Itinerary Suggestion: If you have time for a delectable post-bridge viewing detour, consider stopping at Edgewater Farm for some blueberry picking before heading into Woodstock. The berry picking detour will about about 25 minutes of driving time. After berry picking, you could also visit the bridges on Itinerary 2.

Itinerary 2: Traveling East - West on Route 4:

  1. Quechee Bridge

    Location: Woodstock.Waterman Hill Road, Quechee VT – where it meets Quechee Main Street just off Route 4

    43.645427°N 72.419059°W

    This bridge was severely damaged – disconnected from both banks – by the flood waters caused by Hurricane Irene’s trip up the East Coast in 2011. It has since been restored and reinforced.

  2. Middle / Union Street Bridge

    Location: Woodstock. Off Route 4. Travel 0.1 miles west of the junction Route 12 North on US4, then just right on Union Street

    43.624745°N 72.520452°W

    This is not a historic covered bridge; it was rebuilt in 1969.

  3. Taftsville Bridge

    Location: Woodstock. 0.5 miles west of the junction Route 12 on US4, then 0.1 miles right on River Road.

    43.631102°N 72.467725°W

    The Taftsville Bridge was built in 1836 and is one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont. It is the fourth covered bridge in this spot; the previous three were washed away by floods, but this one has stood the test of time.

    Swimming spot: There is a rope swing a half-mile west of the bridge. Climb up the trunk ladder, grab the rope, and once you’re out over the water let go – you’ll plunge about 20 feet into the cool pool below. Not for those who are afraid of heights. And always check water levels before jumping in, especially in late July, when water levels can be low.

  4. Lincoln Bridge

    Location: West Woodstock. Next to Route 4. Travel 3.1 miles west of junction Route 106 on US4; then left on Fletcher Hill Road. Visible from US4.

    43.600768°N 72.568868°W

    The Lincoln Bridge, built in 1865, features a one-of-a-kind modified Pratt truss with an arch.

Visit Vermont provides a complete list of covered bridges in Central Vermont and Vermont Vacation provides suggested driving tours.