My wife wanted to see this bridge. I was not enthusiastic. Ended up being a lot more pleasurable than I had expected.
Nathan S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Daytona Beach, FL
Pretty scenery as you drive through and the bridge has a wonderful wooden smell. It’s like a really short but fun carnival ride! If you are a fan of wooden bridges – this one is awesome!
Richard R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Suwanee, GA
Of all the covered bridges I’ve ever visited, this one is truly unique and has one of the most powerful rivers flowing below it I’ve seen of any. A big bonus of my visit was getting two bridges in one!!! A third of the bridge is actually steel while the other 2/3rd’s is wooden and covered. I absolutely love the look of Harpersfield. It is the third longest covered bridge in Ohio and gets its look from a flood in 1913 that eroded the land on one end of the bridge. Thus the 140′ steel span was built to keep the bridge functional. There is a park with a gift shop on the north end and during renovations in 1992 a covered walkway was added. A canoe/kayak race is launched here every year in April as well as rentals throughout the year. The race features a ‘Maddest Hat’ contest where the most unusual head attire wins a prize if worn during the race. Sounds like so much fun!!! Also hosted annually is a local dog walk to raise funds to keep the bridge properly maintained. There appears to have once been a dam here, possibly for a grist mill. Water levels on the day we visited were extreme since Ohio had been receiving record rains. The nearby park was partially flooded near the shore and the roar of the water flow was amazing(see video). BRIDGEFACTS Year Built: 1868 Length: 228 feet Restored: 1992 Truss type: Double-span Howe Location: Grand River in Ashtabula County FINALTHOUGHTS Easily one of my favorite covered bridges of all time!!! The setting is ideal and the look is unforgettable. If you were lucky enough to visit 100 covered bridges in a lifetime, you would still easily recognize Harpersfield. The unique appearance of this bridge just makes me love covered bridges all the more. Covered bridge lovers will be in heaven in Ashtabula County, Ohio. They have 18 covered bridges here to which 17 of them are still drivable. Also, both Ohio and neighboring Indiana together offer an amazing collection of these historic structures, many of which are in excellent shape and great subjects for photography. Enjoy!
