Madison County Covered Bridges

The roofs were never for romance. A covered bridge is really an ordinary timber bridge with a roof and walls built around it to keep the weather off the structural wood underneath. Left bare, the big load-bearing timbers would rot within a decade or two; sheltered under a roof, the same timbers could last a hundred years and more. It was simple frontier economy, protecting an expensive bridge the way you would shingle a barn.

Madison County's bridges share a distinctive look thanks to builder Harvey P. Jones and his crews, who raised several of them in the 1880s with a nearly flat roof rather than the steep peak seen elsewhere. They were built where the county's roads had to cross the Middle River, Cedar Creek, and the other streams that thread the countryside, and for generations they carried wagons, then cars, over the water.

Roseman Bridge, built in 1883 over the Middle River, is the one most people picture. It is the bridge at the heart of the famous story, a long barn-red span reached down a gravel lane southwest of Winterset, and the most visited of the six. Holliwell Bridge, also built in the 1880s, is the longest of the group, a graceful span over the Middle River on the southeast side of town.

The others each have their own character. Imes Bridge, dating to 1870, is the oldest survivor and now sits in the little town of St. Charles. Cutler-Donahoe and Hogback bridges round out the set, and Cedar Bridge has the hardest luck of all: the original was lost, a replica was destroyed by arson, and it has been rebuilt again so visitors can still cross it. The county and its volunteers have fought hard to keep all six standing.

Cutler-Donahoe Bridge has been moved into the Winterset City Park, which makes it the easiest one to reach on foot, a good first stop before heading out to the rural spans. Most of the others still stand near their original river crossings, so seeing them means a drive through the countryside, which is half the pleasure.

In 1992 an Iowa writer set a quiet, bittersweet love story among these bridges, and the book became one of the best-selling novels of its era. When it was made into a film in the mid-1990s, crews shot on location here, and Roseman and Cedar bridges appeared on screen for audiences all over the world. Almost overnight, six farm bridges in Iowa became a destination.

The fame brought crowds, and unfortunately a string of arson fires over the years, which is why the bridges are watched over more carefully now. But it also gave the county a reason to preserve what it might otherwise have let quietly fall down. A festival held every fall, decades old now, celebrates the bridges and fills Winterset with visitors, and the story still draws a steady stream of travelers who want to stand where it was set.

The bridges lie in and around Winterset, roughly a half hour southwest of Des Moines and reached easily off Interstate 80. They are free and open every day, and the best way to see them is a self-guided driving loop that ties several together, available from the county tourism office in town. Give yourself a half day if you want to visit several and linger.

Fill up on gas, water, and snacks in Winterset before you head out, because the bridges themselves have no services. Some sit at the end of gravel roads that turn muddy after rain, so pick a dry day if you can. Walk out onto a deck, look up at the old timber trusses, listen to the river below, and it is easy to see why these plain, practical bridges have held so many people's imagination for so long.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Madison County covered bridges, near the town of Winterset in central Iowa, are a group of historic wooden covered bridges dating from the late nineteenth century, made world-famous by the novel and film The Bridges of Madison County. Several of these charming, rustic bridges still stand, tucked amid the rolling farmland and river valleys, each with its own character and history, drawing visitors who come to see the picturesque structures and the romantic landscape. The area celebrates them with a festival and preservation efforts. With their historic charm, scenic countryside setting, and literary fame, the Madison County covered bridges offer a nostalgic and beautiful destination in central Iowa.

Several historic covered bridges survive in Madison County today, out of a larger number originally built in the nineteenth century, each preserved as a beloved landmark set amid the countryside near Winterset. Popular ones to visit include several that are easy to reach and photograph, some restored after damage over the years. A driving route connects them through the scenic farmland. Because the exact number open and their condition can change over time with preservation work, checking current information before you go is wise. Touring the surviving bridges is a delightful way to experience the historic and literary charm of Madison County, Iowa.

You can drive the scenic route through the countryside to visit the historic covered bridges, walk through and photograph each one, learn about their history and their fame from The Bridges of Madison County, explore the nearby town of Winterset with its connections to the story and to John Wayne's birthplace, and enjoy the rolling farmland scenery. The area hosts a covered bridge festival celebrating the landmarks. Bringing a camera is a must. With their photogenic charm, history, and scenic setting, the Madison County covered bridges offer a nostalgic and enjoyable outing near Winterset in central Iowa.

Late spring through fall is the most pleasant time to tour the bridges and countryside, when the weather is mild and the farmland is green or, in autumn, ablaze with color that makes the bridges especially picturesque, with fall a favorite and home to the annual covered bridge festival. Summer offers lush scenery and comfortable touring. The bridges can be visited year-round, though winter weather may affect the roads. For the best combination of pleasant weather, beautiful scenery, and possible festivities, aim for late spring through fall at the Madison County covered bridges near Winterset, Iowa.

The Madison County covered bridges are near the town of Winterset in central Iowa, close to the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum in Winterset, within reach of the Des Moines metro with its Capitol, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and Living History Farms, and the High Trestle Trail Bridge to the north. That makes the covered bridges a nostalgic stop to combine with the John Wayne Birthplace, the Des Moines attractions, and the other sights of central Iowa on a visit to the state.