New Hampshire has a total of 66 covered bridges, scattered across the state. Here are a few wellknow covered bridges within an hour of Hibbard House Inn. For each bridge, we've listed pertinent facts about the bridge, as well as the distance and travel time from our inn.
Location: West Bath Road, Bath, NH
Length: 375 feet
Constructed: 1832
Distance: 0.2 miles
Travel Time: 5 minute walk
Bath Covered Bridge spans the Ammonoosuc River on the west side of Bath, New Hampshire. It's one of New Hampshire's oldest covered bridges. Bath Covered Bridge is an extremly long covered bridge (375 feet) and is made up of four spans, held up by Burr trusses and laminated arches. The current bridge is the fifth version of Bath Covered Bridge, with earlier bridges being destroyed by flooding and fires. Bath Covered Bridge is a one-lane bride, open to passenger cars, with a weight limit of six tons. The bridge also includes a convenient enclosed sidewalk.
Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge
Location: Route 135, Woodsville, NH
Length: 256 feet
Constructed: 1829
Distace: 4.8 miles
Travel Time: 8 minutes
The Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge is thought to be the oldest covered bridge in New Hampshire and, possibly, the oldest covered bridge in the United States. The bridge is a rare example of a Town lattice truss bridge (a specific bridge design patented by Ithiel Town in 1820). It spans the Ammonoosuc River and joins the towns of Bath and Woodsville and offers a fantastic view of a spillway, below. This is a relatively long bridge, covering 256 feet from end-to-end. Whiled The Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge was originally designed to handle vehicles, it is open to foot traffic, only, today.
Flume Covered Bridge
Location: Lincoln, NH
Length: 50 feet
Constructed: 1871
Distance: 26.8 miles
Travel Time: 38 minutes
Flume Covered Bridge, located in Lincoln, New Hampshire, is one of the most popular covered bridges in the state. The bridge travels over the Pemigewasset River, near the intersection of Route 175 and US Route 3. The bridge is used by buses and maintenance vehicles, and it also include a hiker's walkway on it's north side. This is an excellent bridge to photograph, especially, in autumn during peak fll foliage. You can also get great photos after a fresh snowfall in the winter.
Mechanic Street Covered Bridge
Location: 71 Mechanic St, Lancaster, NH
Length: 94 feet
Constructed: 1862
Distance: 51 miles
Travel Time: 50 minutes
Located in Lancaster, New Hampshire, the Mechanic Street Covered Bridge (also known as the Israels River Covered Bridge) travels alone Mechanic Street, and spans the Israels River. This bridge is an example of the Paddleford truss design. The bridge has signs at each end that prohibit driving across the bridge any faster than a walk. The signs were originally put in place in 1862.
Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge
Location: 852 Daniel Webster Highway, Lincoln, NH
Length: 61 feet
Constructed: 1939
Distance: 26 miles
Travel Time: 36 minutes
Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge is considered by many to be New Hampshire's most dramatic covered bridge. Situated near Lincoln, New Hampshire, the bridge spans Flume Gorge. From certain angles, Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge appears to be suspended in midair, with no apparent moorings at either end. That appearance is, of course, an illusion: The bridge is firmly anchored on each side of Flume Gorge. Note that Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge is open to foot traffic only. You definitely won't be able to drive across it.
Swiftwater Covered Bridge
Location: 7 Porter Road, Bath, NH
Length: 158 feet
Constructed: 1849
Distance: 3.3 miles
Travel Time: 6 minutes
The Swiftwater Covered Bridge, located in Bath, New Hampshire, travels across the Wild Ammonoosuc River. This bridge is an example of a single-span Paddleford truss design (with arches added for strength). The current bridge, constructed in 1849, is the fourth bridge at the location, with earlier versions being destroyed during flooding. The bridge has survived a number of log jams and the dynamite blasts used to clear them. Swiftwater Covered Bridge is open to vehicles, with a weight limit of six tons.