Sheards Mill Covered Bridge.

The Pine Valley Bridge.

Perkasie Covered Bridge.

Loading up the GPS for Tyler State Park.

Schofield Ford Covered Bridge.

Breakfast at Bitter Bobs.

12 Covered Bridges in Bucks County, PA

By Nancy Hendrickson #174779

If you were at the Bloomsburg Rally this past July, you would have to remember it for being hot. It was so hot that when we were not at the rally we were at our hotel enjoying the coolness of the air conditioning and pool. We did get out one evening to visit our friends from Adriatic Mototours in Danville for a barbecue. Even the night air held on to the heat of the day and wouldn't let go. We also took a short ride out on Saturday when it was a wee bit cooler in the morning but we didn't stop to see one of the only two remaining twin covered bridges IN THE COUNTRY, the East and West Paden Bridges. It was kind of hard to think clearly in that heat, so when I saw a sign for it I didn't suggest we go. I do wish I did.

It wasn't until I returned home and did a web search that I learned Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than any state in the country and there are 12 in Bucks County where I live. I figured it was time to see them all. So it was on one of those crisp clear blue mornings with a sky filled with fluffy and puffy, bright white clouds that we set out to find them.  

Most of the tours found on the web start at the Memorial Building in Washington Crossing State Park, which is temporarily closed. Regardless it is not a necessary stop. Some of the tours include a visit to Bowman's Tower. The Tower is closed on Mondays and definitely worth a visit if you haven't been there before. If you are willing to climb the steps to the top you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the Delaware River and valley. 

We decided to start with the Schofield Ford Bridge in Tyler State Park. It wasn't that easy to find. The park consists of 1711 acres. We entered the park at the main entrance and drove around for a while before spotting a ranger and asking for directions. We were directed to leave the park the way we came in and reenter up the road. Luckily, there was a sign indicating the bridge off to our left. I have seen this bridge referred to as Twining Ford, but the sign on the road said Schofield Ford Bridge.  We drove down an unpaved road to a lot at the end. We had to park the bike, and then walk a bit down an equestrian path to get to the bridge. Although the bridge was closed to motorized vehicles it was open to other riders. People were riding horses through! Schofield was the longest of all the bridges we would see that day at 150 feet long. We were there fairly early in the morning allowing for a beautiful reflection of the bridge on the water below.

If you have ever wondered why there are any covered bridges at all, it seems the bridges were covered to protect the wooden trusses that held them together. If the trusses were left exposed to the sun, wind, and rain, the life expectancy of the bridge was only about ten years. Covered, the bridge could last 10 times longer.

Having not eaten before we left home we decided to head in to New Hope for breakfast at Bitter Bob's on Main Street. There were plenty of riders and bikes lined up on the street and it was fun to look at them and strike up some cool bike chat.

After eating we programmed the next bridge on our list, http://www.buckscountycbs.org/bridges.htm. One at a time we visited the rest of the bridges programming them in as we went. Each bridge had a bit of unique history, charm and character. Some of them had burned and been rebuilt. Some were owned by the state and others by the county. One of them was in need of repair and a sign warned of it being closed in the immediate future. Most crossed over creeks. The Uhlerstown Bridge crossed over the historic Pennsylvania Canal. The only other bridge not open to vehicular traffic was the South Perkasie Bridge which not only was not open to traffic but did not cross over water. It had been moved to Lenape Park, by the Perkasie Historical Society. We were afforded a little entertainment at the sight of that bridge as we watched a few innings of the towns little league teams while we took a break in the shade and slurped on water ices purchased at the concession stand.

The tour of all 12 Bucks County covered bridges included magnificent scenery, great riding, small Pennsylvania towns and many opportunities for dining along the way. It was a full day adventure for us and we found a few spots we would like to return to and explore. I was thinking it might be nice to photograph those bridges again in the winter when snow covers the landscape. It's not that I'm in any kind of rush for winter, but it just feels good to think cold.

See all the bridges in the December 2011 issue of the BMW Owners News.