Swiftwater Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire
The Swiftwater Covered Bridge was constructed in 1849 and according to a sign at the bridge is one of only 20 remaining Paddleford truss covered bridges in the world. Earlier bridges at this location date back to 1810, and this particular bridge has quite a history. It was originally built as a two-span bridge but at some point the center pier was destroyed. Instead of replacing the pier two laminated arches were installed to provide added support. Over the years the bridge deteriorated and around 1988 a new center pier was installed to help support the bridge until a full rehabilitation could be performed, which didn’t occur until 1998-1999. At that point the laminated arches were removed and the bridge was restored to its original design while trying to remain as historically accurate as possible.
Facing the Swiftwater Covered Bridge
A side view of the Swiftwater Covered Bridge
The bridge continues to support vehicular traffic, allowing it to pass over the Wild Ammonoosuc River. The name Swiftwater comes from the nearby village of Swiftwater (part of the town of Bath), which itself was named for the waterfalls just below the bridge. Just below is also a popular local swimming hole called “Big Eddy,” as can be seen in several of these photos.
Pools and waterfalls create “The Big Eddy,” a popular local swimming hole at the Swiftwater Covered Bridge
Swimming below the Swiftwater Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire
The Swiftwater Covered Bridge is number 29 in the New Hampshire list of covered bridges. We visited this bridge on June 19th, 2025. Click here to see the list of covered bridges we visited while traveling through New Hampshire in mid-2025.
Downstream of the Swiftwater Covered Bridge are the rapids of the Wild Ammonoosuc River
Resources
Most of the details within this post were learned either from signs at the bridge 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 our 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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