Traveling will always be something that’s cherished and for many reasons. For the most part, traveling gives you the chance to experience something different.
So many different locations to pick and choose from each offering something different to see.
People have different interests, and those interests can help decide where to go.
Take a keen liking to bridges for example.
Covered bridges are scattered all around North Alabama and remind us of the way things used to be.
Blount County has the most in North Alabama, which has earned the county the “Covered Bridge Capital” title.
Here’s a list of North Alabama’s covered bridges that are still standing:
Easley Covered Bridge
Built-in 1927, the 95-foot bridge is a town lattice truss construction over a single span.
The Easley Covered Bridge was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on March 3, 1976.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1981. It is currently the oldest and shortest of three historic covered bridges still existing in Blount County.
The bridge which had been closed in 2009 has now been restored and reopened to motor vehicle traffic on October 22, 2012. It is accessible from both sides of Easley Bridge Road.
It is maintained by the Blount County Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation.
Horton Mill Covered Bridge
Built-in 1934, the 220-foot bridge is a Town Lattice truss construction over two spans.
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1970, the first covered bridge in the southeastern United States to be added.
At 70 feet, it is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. It was reopened on March 11, 2013, after being closed in 2007 due to vandalism.
The bridge is currently open to motor vehicle traffic. However, there is only one lane and the posted speed limit is 5 MPH.
Swann Covered Bridge
The Swann Covered Bridge also called the Joy Covered Bridge or Swann-Joy Covered Bridge, is a county-owned, wood-&-metal combination style covered bridge that spans the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River in Blount County, Alabama, United States.
It is located on Swann Bridge Road off State Route 79, just west of the town of Cleveland, about 10 miles northwest of Oneonta.
Built-in 1933, the 324-foot bridge is a Town Lattice truss construction over three spans.
The Swann Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1981.
It is currently the longest existing historic covered bridge in Alabama and the second-longest in the state overall after the 334-foot Twin Creek Covered Bridge in Midway, Alabama which was built in 2000.
Clarkson Covered Bridge
One of Cullman’s most well-known attractions and historically rich sites, Clarkson Covered Bridge, originally built in 1904, and was once used regularly by farmers and travelers to cross Crooked Creek, the weatherworn bridge is now closed to traffic, the centerpiece of a park built in period fashion to showcase the bridge and its historical significance.
The bridge was torn in two, in 1921 by a huge storm. One-piece was left intact, the other swept downstream and soon salvaged.
One year later, the project to repair the bridge with the salvaged material was completed.
On June 25, 1974, Clarkson Covered Bridge was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
Cambron Covered Bridge
Cambron Covered Bridge is in the Green Mountain Nature Trail in Huntsville and is named after Joe E. Cambron, who was the Madison County Bridge Foreman from 1958-1974.
The Nature Trail is recognized as a Treasure Forest by the Alabama Forestry Commission.
It is also considered a Wildlife Sanctuary.
Old Union Covered Bridge
The Old Union Covered Bridge is a privately owned wood & metal combination style covered bridge that spans the West Fork of the Little River in DeKalb County.
It is located on an access road between Shady Grove Dude Ranch and Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort on Lookout Mountain, which is off County Road 614 near the town of Mentone.
Gilliland Reese Covered Bridge
The Gilliland Reese Covered Bridge was constructed in 1899 by a crew under the direction of Etowah County Commissioner Jesse Gilliland.
It’s a Town Lattice truss made of rough-hewn lumber and covered with weathered shingles, originally located over Little Wills Creek at Gilliland Plantation in the vicinity of present-day Bethany Sitz Gap Road near Reece City.
The bridge provided a crossing over the creek, thus improving area transportation, and also was a favorite meeting place.
Eventually, the Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge was replaced in the 1920s by the new Reeceville Road.
In 1966, the bridge was donated to the City of Gadsden by the family of Judge H. Ross Gilliland as it was threatened by the construction of Interstate 59.
No other structures of the Gilliland Plantation are known to remain.
The bridge was fully restored and moved to Noccalula Falls Park in 1967. Most of the Town Lattice truss setup was removed during restoration, making the bridge more of a Stringer construction.
Therefore, it is currently classified as a non-authentic covered bridge.