To truly appreciate the Willamette Valley's natural beauty, you will want to venture down roads less traveled and explore Linn County’s collection of eight scenic covered bridges. These quaint structures evoke a simpler time when life moved a little slower, and architects built roofs over bridges to protect the massive timbers from Oregon’s rainy climate.

As you tour these bridges, notice the diagonal bracing and counter bracing of the beams in a crisscross pattern, both on the sides of the bridge and overhead under the roof. This is the Howe truss design, developed in 1840 by William Howe, which helped make the bridges stronger and last longer.

Early pioneers built the first covered bridges in Oregon, which later gave way to better-designed structures beginning in the early 20th Century. With a lack of steel during the World Wars and an abundance of Douglas fir, construction of these treasures continued well into the 1950s. Early on, trees were felled and hewn at the bridge site. Covering the bridges, while a beautiful addition to any span, had the practical application of keeping the wooden trusses dry. A covered bridge can last up to 80 years, while uncovered wooden bridges had about a nine-year lifespan.

At one time, Oregon was home to about 450 covered bridges. Today, just over 50 remain, but the state still has the largest collection of covered bridges in the West and one of the largest in the nation. Carefully maintained, most are still open to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Take a day to bike or drive your way to these impressive spans along quiet country roads.

Explore Linn County’s eight historic covered bridges along quiet country roads, through farmland and into the Cascade foothills. Follow the five-bridge loop near Scio for a shorter outing, or extend your drive to visit all eight.

The approximately 30-mile Scio route begins with Hoffman Bridge and continues to Gilkey, Shimanek, Hannah, and Larwood bridges. Allow about two and a half hours to enjoy this scenic tour, or choose a few stops if your time is limited.

For a longer adventure, continue toward Sweet Home to visit Weddle Bridge in Sankey Park, then travel east to Short Bridge near Cascadia. Return through Sweet Home and follow Highway 228 west to Crawfordsville Bridge before heading back toward Albany.

Planning to visit all eight bridges? Make a day of it! Before heading out, stop by an Albany eatery to pick up sandwiches or other picnic favorites to enjoy along the way. Allow plenty of time for photographs, exploring, and a leisurely lunch surrounded by Linn County’s beautiful countryside.

Maps and information for self-guided tours are available at the Albany Visitors Association. You’ll find a suggested tour route and directions on Page 20 of Seems Like Old Times or you can download the free Albany Explorer app on your phone to access an interactive tour, a map, and other information about our covered bridges.