Jackson and five other counties have combined to develop a driving tour of covered bridges called Indiana’s Covered Bridge Loop.
“Step back into time and marvel at the workmanship put into wooden bridges built throughout the 1800’s by skilled craftsmen,” said Jane Hays of the Jackson County Visitors’ Center. “Stand on any one of the nine bridges featured on the Loop and listen. You may still hear the faint clip-clop of horse shoes and the whirr of the wagon wheels as they spin across the plank boards. The pace was slower, the distractions fewer… but the craftsmanship is still there today for you to enjoy in the scenic Southern Indiana countryside.”
Six Counties. Nine Bridges. One Great Trail. That is the Indiana Covered Bridge Loop. Whether you drive the Loop and make it a long weekend or a day-long adventure, the approximately 216 mile route features nine historic covered bridges scattered over waterways in Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings and Lawrence counties.
“This makes for a wonderful ‘Stay-cation’ whether a day trip of a weekend trip,” said Hays
The Loop features single, double, triple span bridges, and the only remaining double tunnel bridge in Indiana all built by well-known master craftsmen. Four of the bridges are featured on the National Register of Historic Places. See the oldest covered bridge in Indiana built in 1838, now residing at the Brown County State Park, and the longest three span covered bridge in the United States just outside of Medora, Indiana. Visitors can experience driving through six of the covered bridges.
Visitors will tour two significant covered bridges on the Loop through Jackson County both built by master builder Joseph J. Daniels. The magnificently restored triple-span Medora Covered Bridge, built in 1875, is an example of Daniels’ use of Multiple King Post Truss construction with Double Burr Arch design. The Shieldstown Covered Bridge, built one year later, was the last covered bridge constructed in Jackson County. Built at a cost of $13,600, the two-span bridge is 355 feet long and spans the East Fork of the White River.
The Indiana Covered Bridge Loop brochure serves as your information guide and is complete with a map, GPS coordinates and a brief description accompanied by bridge photos. Loop brochures are available at the Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, and Lawrence County Visitors Centers and on-line. “It’s an unforgettable experience of being transported back in time while creating a memory that lasts a lifetime, said Hays.”
For more information call the Jackson County Visitor Center at 524-1914 or visit www.jacksoncountyin.com.
