Twelve covered bridges in the northern half of New Hampshire as seen in June of 2025.
While visiting New Hampshire in late June of 2025 my father and I sought out a number of covered bridges. Some of these I remembered from my youth but others were completely new to me. Some we only viewed in passing while others we spent time exploring. Over time I plan to create individual posts about many of these beautiful covered bridges and I will link to them from here.
The photo collage above shows the bridges in the order we visited them (though we did revisit some). But for the list below I’ve chosen to sort them by their New Hampshire covered bridge number. As of the time I’m writing this there are 58 numbered historic covered bridges in New Hampshire, so even though we thought we did well visiting 12 of them there are still many more to explore.
27: Haverhill-Bath Covered Bridge
Haverhill-Bath Covered Bridge (Bath, NH)
Located in Bath and originally built in 1829 (apparently the sign at the bridge that says 1827 is incorrect), it is the oldest covered bridge in New Hampshire and one of the oldest in North America. It is a two span bridge and the oldest example of a Town lattice truss covered bridge still in existence. The bridge spans the Ammonoosuc River, which in Abenaki means “small, narrow fishing place”. Just beyond this point the river flows into the larger Connecticut River. We visited this bridge on June 19th and 25th.
28: Bath Covered Bridge
Bath Covered Bridge (Bath, NH)
Also located in Bath and also spanning the Ammonoosuc River, this is a four span bridge with a unique truss design and is the longest covered bridge entirely within New Hampshire (those that span the Connecticut connect New Hampshire and Vermont). It was originally built in 1832 which gives it the distinction of a possible tie for the second oldest covered bridge in New Hampshire, along with the West Swanzey Bridge, built the same year. Interestingly, it’s the fifth bridge at this location with the first built in 1794. The previous bridges were destroyed by things like ice and flooding. We visited this bridge on June 19th.
29: Swiftwater Covered Bridge
Swiftwater Covered Bridge (Bath, NH)
Like the previous two, this bridge is located in Bath. It is a two span Paddleford truss and spans the Wild Ammonoosuc River, a tributary that flows into the Ammonoosuc. The bridge was built in 1849, though as is often the case previous bridges existed at the location as far back as 1810, with some of the previous incarnations destroyed by flooding. We visited this bridge on June 19th.
30: Mount Orne Covered Bridge
Mount Orne Covered Bridge (Lancaster, NH)
This bridge spans the Connecticut River between Lancaster, New Hampshire and Lunenburg, Vermont. It is a two span Howe truss originally built in 1911, and as with many bridges, it replaced previous bridges at the location that had been destroyed (possibly by a flood or a log jam). A sign over the bridge on the Vermont side lists the year 1911 when it was built and 1983 when it underwent a major overhaul to repair many problems. We visited this bridge on June 19th.
31: Mechanic Street Covered Bridge
Mechanic Street Covered Bridge (Lancaster, NH)
Located within Lancaster and built in 1862, this single span Paddleford truss bridge spans the Israel River. It was once overshadowed by the grander Main Street/Double Barrel Bridge constructed the same year, but is now the only covered bridge spanning the Israel. In 2006 it underwent major restorative work to keep it operational. I have fond memories of this bridge from my youth when visiting my father’s family in town. We visited this time on June 19th.
32: Groveton Covered Bridge
Groveton Covered Bridge (Groveton, NH)
This is a single span Paddleford truss with arches built in 1852 and spanning the Upper Ammonoosuc River in the town of Northumberland and the village of Groveton. It no longer supports auto traffic (as of 1939) and is now strictly a pedestrian bridge with a newer non-covered auto bridge just out of sight towards the right. As with many bridges it has had its fair share of problems and repairs over the years. We visited this bridge on June 20th.
33: Columbia Covered Bridge
Columbia Covered Bridge (Columbia, NH)
This single span Howe truss bridge spans the Connecticut River bridging Columbia, New Hampshire with Lemington, Vermont. It was constructed in 1912, though as with many bridges it replaced previous bridges dating back to 1820. And as with many bridges, it has undergone repairs and restorative work over the years. We visited this bridge on June 20th.
37: Stark Covered Bridge
Stark Covered Bridge (Stark, NH)
This bridge is a single span Paddleford truss spanning the Upper Ammonoosuc River in the town of Stark. There is some disagreement about its original date of construction though it appears to be between 1853-1862 with the town stating it was 1862. Interestingly it was originally built as a two span bridge but in 1895 flooding tore the bridge loose and swept it downriver. Somewhat miraculously the bridge survived and was restored, though this time as a single span to hopefully reduce the risk of the same thing happening again. Over the years, though, the bridge began to sag and in 1948 a new center pier was installed. As is often the case more restorative work was done over the years, and more is likely still needed. This bridge has some extra meaning for me because my grandfather was born just the other side of the bridge and married in a church just out of view on this side. We visited this bridge on June 22nd.
48: Saco River Covered Bridge
Saco River Covered Bridge (Conway, NH)
This bridge is a two span Paddleford truss with arches and dates to 1890. As its name implies it spans the Saco River in the village of Conway. It wasn’t the first bridge at this location, replacing previously destroyed bridges. The most noteworthy example was major flooding in 1869 that tore the Swift River bridge, upstream of this one, off its abutments, smashing it into the Saco River Bridge, destroying both. Throughout the years it has had its fair share of repair work. We didn’t visit this bridge but I happened to snap a photo as we crossed a non-covered bridge just downriver on June 24th.
49: Albany Covered Bridge
Albany Covered Bridge (Albany, NH)
This is a single span Paddleford truss with arches that spans the Swift River. It was built in 1858 and sits at the same location as previously destroyed bridges. It’s a stop just off the popular and very scenic Kancamagus Highway in the town of Albany and within the White Mountain National Forest. There is a decent sized parking lot on this side of the bridge just to the right with trails along the river. Apparently the bridge is closed during the winter months to reduce the chance of accidents and to limit salt and sand being tracked onto its timbers. We visited this bridge on June 24th.
50: Bartlett Covered Bridge
Bartlett Covered Bridge (Bartlett, NH)
This is a single span Paddleford truss with arches that spans the Saco River. There seems to be some question as to when the bridge was built. Town record would indicate around 1880 though there are other reports of around 1851. It was in active use until 1939 when the newer bridge visible in the photo was first built. The covered bridge was then used as a storage facility. Eventually, around 1966, it was sold to someone living next door to the bridge with the one stipulation being they keep the outside appearance the same. The bridge was in need of major repair work, after which they build a gift shop inside. It has changed hands a couple times since then but is still home to a gift shop, and a nearby bed and breakfast. We didn’t visit the bridge but drove by on June 22nd.
51: Jackson Covered Bridge
Jackson Covered Bridge (Jackson, NH)
This bridge is a single span Paddleford truss with arches, spanning the Ellis River in Jackson. It’s apparently unclear exactly when the bridge was built though it appears to have been around 1876. Much of its earliest history was either not well documented or the documents were lost, though there is documentation about more recent repair work. It featured prominently in a 1974 photograph of the Anheuser Busch Company Clydesdales Horses riding through the bridge. We visited this bridge on June 19th.
BONUS: Littleton Riverwalk Covered Bridge
Riverwalk Covered Bridge (Littleton, NH)
And as a bonus (for a baker’s dozen of covered bridges) we have the Paddleford truss pedestrian bridge in Littleton. Built in 2004, it’s both a tourist attraction and an easy means of crossing the river between downtown Littleton and the Riverwalk trail and the local senior center. We visited this bridge on June 19th.
Resources
Most of the details within this post were learned either from signs at the bridges or from the fantastic book, Covered Bridges of New Hampshire by Kim Varney Chandler, which I purchased from a small local shop in Lincoln while on the trip. It’s well worth it if you plan to visit the area or are just interested in covered bridges and their history and construction. The link takes you to the author’s website for the book with lots of extra information and with links to let you purchase directly from her.
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