The book and subsequent movie, “The Bridges of Madison County,” share the same setting in a beautiful part of the Midwest—Madison County, Iowa. Located southwest of the state capital, Des Moines, are six original covered bridges that you really must see! Visitors can follow a self-guided tour or call ahead and schedule a two-hour tour, hosted by a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. A fall trip would be ideal because the brilliantly colored leaves provide a perfect backdrop for these famous bridges.
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Covered bridge history
Building the bridge
From the 1830s to the 1870s, covered bridges were a popular way to construct passageways over rivers and streams. Timber trusses spanned the divide. Bridge decking and siding were added, with a pitched (slanted) roof completing the structure.
Misconceptions
I always believed that bridges were covered in order to provide refuge or protection for travelers. With a roof and sides, the covered bridge could shelter folks from the bitter wind or pelting rain. Sure, travelers could find brief respite within the confines of the covered bridge, but the main reason covered bridges were built? To prolong the life span of the bridge. Yes, that was the motivation for covering it. Uncovered bridges, at the time, lasted 10 to 20 years. A covered bridge could last more than a century—and many still stand as proof of that today.
Another misconception of mine? I thought a benefit of covered bridges was that snow would not accumulate on the bridge deck. It turns out, however, that in winter folks often had to shovel snow onto the bridge deck in order to enable a horse-drawn sleigh to cross.
Finally, I’d always wondered about the red paint. Throughout the Midwest, covered bridges are painted red. (Same goes for many barns.) The reason had nothing to do with aesthetics or unwritten “rules” of the countryside. Red paint was most often used because it was cheaper!
Bridges and more
Madison County’s covered bridges are great—a definite must-see! But there are many other reasons for you to visit this wonderful part of the Midwest:
- Winterset, Iowa, in the heart of “bridge country,” offers many retail stores with quality merchandise.
- Visit the birthplace of the famous actor John Wayne, and tour a museum built in his honor.
- Tour and taste-test the finest of Iowa wines at a nearby winery.
- Take a quilting or glass-fusing class (or watch demonstrations).
- Tour “old-time Iowa,” courtesy of Madison County’s Historical Society.
- Visit the Iowa Quilt Museum.
- Go biking, hiking, birdwatching, golfing, hunting in season, or fishing. (Bonus: cross-country skiing in winter!)
My recommendation? Read the book “The Bridges of Madison County” again or watch the movie. Then hit the road. Destination: Madison County, Iowa. Best of all? I think you’ll find the people of Iowa are some of the friendliest folks you’ll ever hope to meet.
Finding the covered bridges
You can find more information, tours, and a map of all Madison County covered bridges here. You can also attend the covered bridge festival on October 8th and 9th. How fun would that be?
Your favorite?
There are many, many other covered bridges to explore in the United States. Do you have a special favorite to recommend? Please share in the comments below.
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We actually made our first RV trip (a.k.a. an October shakedown cruise) a trip across Iowa east to west then back. Visited all the bridges then.
Winterset is a wonderful small town to visit, not far off I80, and the surrounding area is beautiful. The 76 acre Winterset City Park is really nice (has one of the covered bridges right on it) and has a pretty nice reasonably priced campground on it. Take the hike or drive up to Clark Tower in the park. The John Wayne museum is very good and the “official” museum sanctioned by his family.
My wife and I spent four days there in 2018 exploring the area and seeing the bridges, one of which was, unfortunately a burned pile of rubble due to an arsonist and will never be replaced due to a high six to seven figure restoration price tag…and the Federal Judge on the case let the arsonist off with only a minor penalty because he “was sorry.” 🙁 This was a bridge that had already been restored because of another previous arson.
We lived in Chester County, PA and a mile and a half down our road was Gibson`s covered bridge. We have driven and walked through it many times. We liked it so much, we have a picture of it, painted by a local artist, hanging in our RV as we are full time now.
If you live near the west coast, Scio Oregon near Salem, has six beautiful covered bridges on a lovely drive that circles the rural countryside. http://www.staytonsublimitychamber.org/covered-bridge-tour/
Try the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana. Thirty one bridges to see; festival this year runs from October 14 thru October 23.
We went to that several years ago and loved it, spent all weekend there it’s great. I was thinking of this as I read the article thank you for reminding me of it.