Covered Bridges in Lancaster County, PA
Lancaster County has 28 covered bridges still standing, one of the highest concentrations anywhere in the United States. Almost all are Burr-arch-truss spans painted barn red with white portals, built between the 1840s and 1890s to carry farm roads over the county's creeks. The best-known are Pool Forge near Churchtown and Jackson's Sawmillin the Solanco region south of Quarryville, but they're scattered across every corner of the county. For a route that strings several together, see our driving tour of all 28 bridges.
Why so many, and why red
Covered bridges were roofed to protect the wooden truss and deck from rot; a covered span lasted decades longer than an open one. Lancaster County's farm economy and its many creeks meant dozens were built, and the county's preservation efforts kept 28 of them in place. The signature barn-red paint with white end portals is a local convention that makes the Lancaster bridges instantly recognizable.
Planning a driving tour
The bridges cluster loosely by region: several in the northeast around Churchtown and Narvon (including Pool Forge), a group in the Strasburg and Paradise area in the east, and the southern Solanco bridges near Quarryville such as Jackson's Sawmill. Most sit on quiet township roads and are still open to traffic. Our covered-bridges driving tour maps a full-day loop; the listings below let you find the ones closest to a given town.
Buck Hill Farm Covered Bridge
White Rock Forge Covered Bridge
Shearer's Covered Bridge
Pool Forge Covered Bridge
Conestoga Creek Viaduct
Veterans Memorial Bridge
Linton Stephens Covered Bridge
Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge
Martic Forge Trestle
Wright's Ferry Bridge
Safe Harbor Trestle
Norman Wood Bridge
Mill Race Foot Bridge
Red Run Covered Bridge
Glen Hope Covered Bridge
Willow Hill Covered Bridge
Shocks Mills Bridge
Sky Bridge
2395 COVERED BRIDGE DRIVE
Town-by-town guides covering play and everything else in Lancaster County.