This week Ruth takes us on a tour of historic covered bridges in the Lehigh Valley. Schlicher’s Covered Bridge, which crosses Jordan Creek in Schnecksville, was first constricted in 1882.
                                 Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran

This week Ruth takes us on a tour of historic covered bridges in the Lehigh Valley. Schlicher’s Covered Bridge, which crosses Jordan Creek in Schnecksville, was first constricted in 1882.

Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran

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<p>Ruth Corcoran</p>

Ruth Corcoran

<p>Located less than a mile downstream from Schilcher’s Covered Bridge, Geiger’s Covered Bridge, built in 1860, is located on the eastern side of the Trexler Nature Preserve.</p>
                                 <p>Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran</p>

Located less than a mile downstream from Schilcher’s Covered Bridge, Geiger’s Covered Bridge, built in 1860, is located on the eastern side of the Trexler Nature Preserve.

Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran

<p>Wehr’s Covered Bridge in South Whitehall boasts beautiful surroundings, with a large park, picnic spots, a walking path, and a concrete dam.</p>
                                 <p>Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran</p>

Wehr’s Covered Bridge in South Whitehall boasts beautiful surroundings, with a large park, picnic spots, a walking path, and a concrete dam.

Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran

<p>The Kreidersville Covered Bridge was constructed in 1839 and is open to pedestrians only.</p>
                                 <p>Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran</p>

The Kreidersville Covered Bridge was constructed in 1839 and is open to pedestrians only.

Photo courtesy Ruth Corcoran

From the first time I watched the movie The Bridges of Madison County with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep in the mid ’90s, I’ve been in love with the peaceful beauty and romance of covered bridges. We are lucky to have more than 200 covered bridges still standing in Pennsylvania, which is more than any other state. Seven of those historic bridges are located in the Lehigh Valley.

Covered bridges first began to pop up in North America in the 19th century. The original reason for covering the bridges was to protect the wooden floors and trusses from the elements and prevent decaying of the structure. Many covered bridges remain throughout the country as artifacts, and some are still open to traffic.

On a recent Sunday, my husband and I took our two dogs for a driving tour of the Lehigh Valley’s Covered Bridges. It proved to be a scenic trip back to a more tranquil time. Not only are the bridges charming, but the surrounding areas are ideal for picnicking, hiking, are enjoying some quiet time along the water. It was definitely a trip our dogs enjoyed because of the abundant space for running and playing.

While they say the Lehigh Valley covered bridge tour is 50 miles long, it took us several hours, because we got out, walked, took photos, and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We traveled down the turnpike, starting our tour at the Kreidersville Bridge, which is the only one in Northampton County. Knowing the order in which I wanted to visit the bridges, I just entered each covered bridge name in Waze as we went along, and we found them easily with no problems. Here are the bridges we visited.

Kreidersville Covered Bridge

1-99 Covered Bridge Rd, Northampton, PA

The Kreidersville Covered Bridge was constructed in 1839 and is pedestrian-only. This 116-foot bridge that spans the Hokendauqua Creek is the oldest bridge in the Lehigh Valley and the only remaining covered bridge in Northampton County. The arch of its Burr Truss design provides strong support. It utilizes large, central arches along the sides that are tied to the bridge’s abutments. There is also a gazebo and picnic table nearby, which is ideal for a picnic. While closest to our location, this bridge was further from most of the others. It was approximately 14 miles to get to our next stop, which was Schlicher’s Covered Bridge.

Schlicher’s Covered Bridge

Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA

Schlicher’s Covered Bridge is one I had spent some time at in the past, because I attended the nearby Lehigh Carbon Community College. It’s also close to the Lehigh Valley Zoo. This 108-foot-long Burr Truss bridge that crosses Jordan Creek was first constricted in 1882. It was closed for repair in 2010 and when repair proved too costly, PennDOT decided to replace it. Ten percent of the new structure uses recycled materials from the original, which enabled it to remain on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is open to traffic. Located in the midst of the Trexler Nature Preserve, there are miles of trails to explore, which we enjoyed.

Geiger’s Covered Bridge

Old Packhouse Road, Orefield, PA

Located less than a mile downstream from Schilcher’s Covered Bridge, Geiger’s Covered Bridge is located on the eastern side of the Trexler Nature Preserve. It spans the Jordan Creek and is 112 feet long. Built in 1860, it’s “stepped portal” design and unique flooring pattern gives it a distinct look. You can easily hike between Geiger’s and Schilcher’s Covered Bridges. This bridge is also open to vehicles.

Rex’s Covered Bridge

Jordan Road, Orefield, PA

Traveling 1.6 miles further, we found Rex’s Covered Bridge. Constructed in 1858, Rex’s Covered Bridge crosses 116-feet over the Jordan Creek. It was the first of the three covered bridges built in North Whitehall Township. Our stop at Rex’s was brief, because it was surrounded by housing and private property, and it was hard to find parking. We continued on for approximately three miles to our next stop.

Wehr’s Covered Bridge

2465 Wehr Mill Road, South Whitehall, PA

Wehr’s Covered Bridge is in a beautiful area with a large park, picnic spots, a walking path, and a concrete dam. Constructed in 1841, it’s a three span, 117-foot-long, Burr Truss bridge that crosses over Jordan Creek. You can still drive over this bridge as it is in great shape. Covered Bridge Park, which located near the bridge was the ideal place to take a longer break, relax, and watch the geese swimming.

Manasses Guth Bridge

Jordan Road, Orefield, PA

Also spanning Jordan Creek with a Burr Arch Truss design, Manasses Guth Bridge was built in 1858 and then rebuilt after a fire in 1882. It was just a little over a mile from Wehr’s. We were able to drive over the 108-foot span and park in a nice area on the eastern end of Covered Bridge Park. When we were finished, we took a 7.4-mile drive to the final stop on our tour.

Bogert’s Covered Bridge

Fish Hatchery Rd., Allentown, PA

This pedestrian-only bridge was built in 1841 and is owned by the city of Allentown. It was closed to traffic in 1956 after it was damaged by a truck. Another Burr Truss design, the openings along the sides of the bridge help to light the interior. Among the oldest covered bridges in Pennsylvania, it was originally built without a single nail or piece of iron. It’s located in the Lehigh Parkway near plenty of walking trails. Bogert’s Bridge spans the Little Lehigh Creek, a popular fishing spot. It is also near the Li’l-Le-Hi Trout Nursery, which is one of the oldest continually operated trout nurseries in the country.

I think you will agree that a tour of the Lehigh Valley’s many covered bridges is a great way to spend the day.

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Ruth Corcoran is a professional marketer, former restaurant owner, and community advocate. She resides in Bear Creek. Readers can reach Ruth by emailing [email protected].