Take a Kentucky Covered Bridges Road Trip
If covered bridges are your passion, northern Kentucky is a great destination. The best way to see the bridges is on a multiday trip, where you can also visit the surrounding towns and small communities. If, however, you’re just passing through or are simply out for a long Sunday drive, here’s how to visit all eight of the region’s bridges.
The majority of these bridges have long since been closed to traffic, but a few let you cross either by car or on foot, and all pose prettily for photos, transporting those who stop and take notice back to a different era. Eight of the region’s bridges can be seen in a looping day’s drive, in the order below. This entire loop totals 217 miles (349 kilometers), and it will take 5-5.5 hours to drive the whole circuit, not counting time spent at each bridge. It’s certainly a full day’s trip, but it’s a very scenic route and a lovely way to explore the rural areas of this region.
Begin your adventure in Covington, where you’ll take Exit 75 off of I-275 to the AA Highway (KY 9). Drive east for 31 miles on the AA Highway to reach stop number one: Walcott Covered Bridge. This bridge, located at the intersection with KY 1159, is visible from the highway, although you can turn off for a closer look. From Walcott Covered Bridge, continue east on the AA Highway for 4.7 miles, then turn left on KY 19. Drive 3.2 miles, and then turn right on KY 8. Drive 6.9 miles on eastbound KY 8 to Lee’s Creek Road. Turn right on Lee’s Creek Road, and you’ll reach Dover Covered Bridge in 0.1 mile.
Get a double dose of Dover Bridge by driving through it, then U-turning and driving back through it to return to KY 8. Turn right onto KY 8 and continue east for 1.6 miles. Turn right onto Tuckahoe Road, drive 3.9 miles, and then turn right on Minerva Tuckahoe Road. Drive 0.9 mile, and then turn left onto Valley Pike. The short Valley Pike Covered Bridge (23 feet) is privately owned, but you may view it at a turn-off.
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From the Valley Pike Bridge, you’ll now head to the easternmost bridge before looping south and then back west. Begin by traveling 1.5 miles on Valley Pike to Germantown Road. Turn right and drive 0.8 mile to the AA Highway. Turn left, drive 2.9 miles, and then turn left onto KY 10. Continue on KY 10 for 3.2 miles through Maysville and onto combined KY 10/KY 8. Drive 6.4 miles on KY 10/KY 8, and then turn left on Springdale Road. After 1.8 miles, turn right on Cabin Creek Road and drive 1.7 miles to Cabin Creek Covered Bridge. This bridge is closed to traffic, so get out to admire it and then return to your car.
You’re now off to see Fleming County’s three covered bridges. Begin by retracing your path on Cabin Creek Road for 1.2 miles, turning left onto Owl Hollow Road. Proceed for 2.1 miles, and then turn left onto KY 8. Drive 0.6 mile, and then stay right onto KY 1237. After 3.7 miles, turn right onto KY 57 and drive 11 miles into Flemingsburg. Go straight through the roundabout, and then turn left onto eastbound KY 32. Drive 8.2 miles on KY 32 to the Goddard White Covered Bridge, which is located just off of KY 32 on Parkersburg Road. It is open to traffic, so go ahead and pass through. You’ll then want to pull off for some photos, which are more attractive if you shoot from KY 32.
After you’re done taking photos of the Goddard White Bridge, continue east on KY 32. Drive 6.5 miles to Rawlings Road, where you’ll turn right. Proceed 2.8 miles to the intersection with KY 158. Ringo’s Mill Covered Bridge, which is no longer used, is right next to the road at this intersection.
From Ringo’s Mill Bridge, it’s just a short drive to the second-to-last bridge on your tour. Turn right on KY 158, and drive 3.5 miles, turning left at the dead end, to reach KY 111. Turn left on KY 111, and drive 2.9 miles to Grange City Covered Bridge, which is on the side of the road to your right.
To reach the tour’s final bridge, retrace your path on KY 111, driving a total of 10.4 miles to westbound KY 32. After 0.9 mile, continue onto KY 32 bypass. Drive 3.3 miles on the bypass before turning left back onto KY 32. Continue 4.7 miles on KY 32 to KY 165, where you’ll turn right. Drive 6.2 miles on KY 165 to where it dead-ends at U.S. 68. Turn left onto U.S. 68, drive 1.8 miles, and then turn right on Mt. Pleasant Road. Continue 1.9 miles to Old Blue Lick Road, where you will take a sharp right, and proceed 1.5 miles to Johnson Creek Covered Bridge, the eighth and final covered bridge in this region.
If you’d like to complete the loop and return to Covington, follow Old Blue Lick Road and Mt. Pleasant Road back to U.S. 68. Turn right onto U.S. 68, drive two miles, and then turn right onto KY 165. Remain on KY 165 for 20.6 miles until you reach KY 19. Stay right on KY 19, and drive 0.9 mile to KY 10. Drive 10.5 miles on KY 10, and then turn right on Lenoxburg Foster Road, which will connect to the AA Highway in 2.7 miles. At the AA Highway, turn left and drive 26.8 miles back to I-275.
This entire loop totals 217 miles, and it will take 5-5.5 hours to drive the whole circuit, not counting time spent at each bridge. It’s certainly a full day’s trip, but it’s a very scenic route and a lovely way to explore the rural areas of this region.
For those using a GPS, coordinates for each of the bridges are as follows:
- Walcott Covered Bridge: N 38° 43.992 W 084° 05.868
- Dover Covered Bridge: N 38° 45.018 W 083° 52.719
- Valley Pike Covered Bridge: N 38° 40.470 W 083° 52.320
- Cabin Creek Covered Bridge: N 38° 36.574 W 083° 37.277
- Goddard White Covered Bridge: N 38° 21.738 W 083° 36.930
- Ringo’s Mill Covered Bridge: N 38° 16.110 W 083° 36.624
- Grange City Covered Bridge: N 38° 15.294 W 083° 39.192
- Johnson Creek Covered Bridge: N 38° 28.950 W 083° 58.722
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