This is our visit to historic Stowe, Vermont and discovering its quaint covered bridges. The beautiful landscape captivated us as we explored this rural area of New England.
Gov. Wentworth of New Hampshire granted a charter to establish Stowe in 1763. The “ski capital of the East” is how Stowe is known today. It is Vermont’s second largest town in land area, but ranks 27th in population with 5,223 people. This picturesque town is located at the foot of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. Enjoy a few photos from downtown Stowe.
History of Vermont’s covered bridges
Vermont’s covered bridges are quite beautiful and are living memorials of times gone by. According to the Vermont Government, these historic covered bridges were constructed with local timber between the 1820’s and late 19th century. Originally, the purpose of these bridges was to facilitate safe passage and help calm horses and livestock from being spooked while navigating the crossings over streams, rivers, and railroads. Additionally, rain and snow can fall safely down into the river and away from the roadway from their slanted roofs. At one time, there were over 700 of these covered bridges and 100 remain today for visiting. Did you know that Vermont has the highest number of bridges per square mile than any other state in the US?
Which covered bridges did we discover on our trip?
We visited five covered and one uncovered bridge while we were in the Stowe area.
The Giles Dewey Memorial Bridge is very short walk from downtown Stowe. The dedication of this bridge is for the life’s work of a local farmer, leader, and politician who died in 2000. It replaced the bridge originally built in 1916. The covered section is pedestrian only and incorporates an open framework on one side which faces the Stowe landscape for an unimpeded view.
Gold Brook Bridge is the original name for Emily’s Bridge (1844) in Stowe. It’s a wooden, single-lane bridge that is 50 feet long. Stories boast that the bridge is haunted. According to legend, in the mid-1800s, Emily was meeting her lover at the bridge to elope. When he never showed, she took her own life by hanging herself from the rafters of the covered bridge. In the ghost story today, people report that Emily is apparently angry. Tales of claw-like gouges down the sides of cars and other hauntings surround the bridge, including those of a strange voice emanating from inside the short tunnel.
A brief detour along the way
Less than 10 minutes from Stowe is Moss Glen Falls. It’s a short hike to see the Falls, so we wanted to stop on the way to the next covered bridge.
The Red Covered Bridge (1896) is one of the last known covered bridges built in the 19th century. It is located in a rural area of Morristown, Vermont. As soon as we arrived, it began to rain.
In eastern East Montpelier, Vermont, the Coburn Covered Bridge (1851) is a historic bridge that carries Coburn Road over the Winooski River. It is the town’s only surviving 19th-century covered bridge.
Just over an hour away from Stowe is Quechee Village
The Quechee Covered Bridge was first constructed as a railway bridge in 1911, then later converted to a roadway bridge in the 1930’s. Today it’s actually a steel bridge (1970) with a 70-foot span over the Ottauquechee River in Quechee, VT. It does have a pedestrian walkway to cross. This bridge marks the entrance to the village of Quechee which is the setting for the Quechee Gorge, which is also a must-see site.
A final bridge to cross, although not covered
Although the Quechee Gorge Bridge is not a covered bridge, it does offer a fantastic view over the deepest gorge in Vermont at 168 feet. Surrounding the bridge is a safety link fence. If you walk approximately halfway across, you will notice several cut out sections where you can take unobstructed photos of the view.
Here’s a map of our journey in Historic Stowe, Vermont and discovering its quaint covered bridges.
The Vermont Covered Bridge Society has complete details and maps to help you locate all the covered bridges for your trip planning.
We really wanted to explore more covered bridges on this trip, timing and weather were not in our favor. Perhaps on our next roadtrip in Vermont.
Have you visited any of Vermont’s covered bridges? If so, which bridges are your favorites?
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