See Maryland's Remaining 6 Covered Bridges On Driving Tour

More than 120 covered bridges dotted Maryland's landscape within the past 200 years. Today, only six covered bridges are still standing.

The Maryland Covered Bridges group has dedicated itself to the preservation and rehabilitation of all covered bridges across the state. The group has mapped out a driving tour for Marylanders to visit all six bridges, perfect for a fall afternoon road trip.

Of the six bridges still standing, three bridges are in Frederick County, two in Cecil County and one is shared by Baltimore and Harford counties. Photos and details can be found on the Maryland Covered Bridges website.

According to state history, the longest covered bridge was Theodore Burr's Rock Run Bridge, a 4,170 foot, 18-span bridge that crossed the Susquehanna River. A listing with details about the covered bridges of Maryland's past can be found online.

Below is information about the bridges, including their address and interesting facts about each:

• Roddy Road Covered Bridge
  Address: 14760 Roddy Road, Thurmont, MD 21788
  Built in 1856, the one-lane bridge crosses Owens Creek north of Thurmont. At only about 40 feet long, it is the smallest of Maryland's six surviving covered bridges. Its design uses a single king-post truss, and the bridge is covered in red clapboard siding. Steel supports were added beneath the wooden structure over the years to strengthen it.
• Loys Station Covered Bridge
  Address: Old Frederick Road at Owens Creek, Rocky Ridge, MD 21778
  The approximately 90-foot-long bridge carries Old Frederick Road across Owens Creek. The historic bridge was built in the mid-19th century using a multiple king-post truss design. An arson fire severely damaged it in 1991, and it was reconstructed and reopened in 1994. Five original beams and other surviving historic components were incorporated into the reconstructed bridge.
• Utica Mills Covered Bridge
  Address: 7720 Utica Road, Thurmont, MD 21788
  The 101-foot Burr arch bridge crosses Fishing Creek, but that isn't where it originally stood. It was once part of a much larger covered bridge spanning the Monocacy River. A severe flood in 1889 destroyed part of that bridge. The surviving section was dismantled, moved and reconstructed at its present location over Fishing Creek.
• Gilpin's Falls Covered Bridge
  Address: MD Route 272/North East Road at North East Creek, North East, MD 21901
  Built in 1859-1860, Gilpin's Falls is the longest surviving covered bridge in Maryland, measuring 119 feet. The single-span Burr arch through-truss bridge crosses North East Creek near Bay View. The bridge originally carried Nottingham Road but was later bypassed when Route 272 was constructed nearby. Below the bridge, North East Creek drops over Gilpin's Falls, an area once used to power mills.
• Foxcatcher Farm Covered Bridge
  Address: Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, 630 Tawes Drive, Elkton, MD 21921
  Also known as the Fair Hill Covered Bridge, this bridge crosses Big Elk Creek near the Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center. It was constructed in 1860 for the Cecil County Commissioners at a cost of $1,165. Today it sits within the sprawling Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. The bridge received Maryland's Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Award in 1994.
• Jericho Covered Bridge
  Address: Jericho Road over Little Gunpowder Falls, Kingsville, MD 21087
  Built in 1865, the historic bridge crosses Little Gunpowder Falls on the boundary between Baltimore and Harford counties. Also known as the Jerusalem Covered Bridge, it uses a Burr arch through-truss design that combines king-post trusses with long wooden arches for additional strength. The wooded setting is part of the Gunpowder Falls area, making the bridge particularly scenic in fall.