Ulster County is home to seven covered bridges including the Millbrook Covered Bridge, the Forge Covered Bridge, the Tappan Covered Bridge, the Myers Covered Bridge, the Friendship Manor Covered Bridge, the Ashokan/Turnwood Covered Bridge and Perrine’s Covered Bridge.

The first five of those bridges are located within a fairly close distance of each other and easy to visit one after the other, but the remaining two are located on the complete other side of the county, with Ashokan being a good 40-minute drive and Perrine’s another ~30 minutes beyond that. Even with the long drive visiting all seven of the covered bridges is certainly possible for a long, but rewarding, day tour.

Millbrook Covered Bridge

Millbrook Covered BridgeHardenburgh, Ulster County

The Millbrook Covered bridge, also known as the Grant Mills Covered Bridge, was originally constructed in 1902 by Edgar Marks, his son Orrin Marks and Wesley Alton. Bridge construction, assisted by local craftsman, took place over the course of nearly seven months, opening to traffic on December 8, 1902.
The town lattice truss bridge is approximately 17 feet wide and 69 feet long as it crosses the Mill Brook. The bridge is located in the town of Hardenburgh in Ulster County, less than a ½ mile from the border with Delaware County. The single lane bridge is closed to vehicular traffic. The Millbrook Covered Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Millbrook valley has long been known as one of the beauty spots of the Catskills, if not the entire state. Residents of the area should make a “get acquainted” trip over this road some day this summer. Go over the Barkaboom or Beech hill mountain, then up the Beaverkill and back to the Millbrook valley by Cross mountain. Folks will never believe there is such breath taking beauty till once they have seen it.
– Catskill Mountain News, May 28, 1954

Also known as: Grant Mills Covered Bridge

Located: Town of Hardenburgh

Year built: 1902

Truss: Town Lattice

Length: 69 feet

Builder: Edgar Marks, Orrin Marks, Wesley Alton

Spans: Mill Brook     

Bridge traffic: Pedestrian

Listed on National Register: Yes

Forge Covered Bridge

Forge Covered BridgeArkville, Ulster County

The Forge Covered Bridge is located in the Dry Brook Valley south of Arkville in the town of Hardenburgh in Ulster County. The bridge was constructed in 1906 by Salem Jerome Moot. It is 27 feet long as it crosses the Dry Brook. The single span utilizes the Kingpost Truss design.

The bridge is part of a large private estate owned by Kingdon Gould Jr., great grandson of Jay Gould (1836-1892), the notorious robber baron of the 19th century. The property, which includes the approximately 40 acre Furlough Lake, is known as Furlough Estate. The estate was purchased by George J. Gould in the late 1880s from Thomas Cornell, president of the Ulster & Delaware Railroad, for use as a summer home and has remained in the Gould family since.

Also known as: N/A

Located: 7.6 miles south of Arkville, Town of Hardenburgh

Year built: 1906

Truss: Kingpost

Length: 27 feet

Builder: Salem Jerome Moot

Spans: Dry Brook

Bridge traffic: Vehicle (private)

Listed on National Register: No

Tappan Covered Bridge

Tappan Covered BridgeArkville, Ulster County

The Tappan Covered Bridge, formerly known as the Kittle Covered Bridge, is located in the Dry Brook Valley south of Arkville in the town of Hardenburgh in Ulster County. The bridge was constructed in 1906 by Salem Jerome Moot. The bridge originally utilized a Kingpost Truss but was rebuilt in 1985 utilizing a Stringer Truss design. It is a single lane, 43 feet long and 12 feet wide as it carries the short, dead-end Erickson Road over the Dry Brook. Due to its lack of original components and modern restoration the bridge does not qualify for the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is owned and maintained by the town of Hardenburgh.

Also known as: Kittle Covered Bridge, John Crook Covered Bridge

Located: 8.5 miles south of Arkville, Town of Hardenburgh

Year built: 1906

Truss: Stringer (originally Kingpost)

Length: 43 feet

Builder: Salem Jerome Moot

Spans: Dry Brook

Bridge traffic: Vehicle

Listed on National Register: No

Myers Covered Bridge

Myers Covered BridgeHardenburgh, Ulster County

The Myers Covered Bridge is a non-historic bridge located in the Dry Brook Valley south of Arkville in the town of Hardenburgh in Ulster County. The bridge carries Dry Brook Road over the Dry Brook. It is located one mile south from the Tappan Covered Bridge. The original covered bridge was constructed in 1906 by Salem Jerome Moot using the Kingpost Truss design. Unfortunately, this bridge did not stand the test of time and was replaced in 1990 with a modern steel stringer bridge with the wood siding and roof added to take on the appearance of an old covered bridge. The current bridge is owned by Ulster County and is open to vehicular traffic. The bridge is named for the Myers family, who once owned the adjacent estate as a summer home.

Also known as: Eagle Covered Bridge, New Covered Bridge, Drexel Covered Bridge

Located: Town of Hardenburgh

Year built: 1990

Truss: Stringer

Length: 47 feet

Builder: Drexel Eagle

Spans: Dry Brook

Bridge traffic: Vehicle

Listed on National Register: No

Perrine’s Covered Bridge

Perrine's Covered BridgeRifton, Ulster County

The historic Perrine’s Covered Bridge is one of the most popular covered bridges in New York State. Its scenic location and easy accessibility ensure that that it is often visited by artists, photographers, covered bridge fans, regional tourists and those just “passing through”. The bridge has long been touted in New York State and Ulster County tourist guides as step back into the past, a famed landmark and stopping point for any visitor to the county. Local newspapers describe it as a great picnic location or a romantic place to “pop the question”. Local politicians use the bridge site as a backdrop during campaigns, a location to make newsworthy announcements or to stage a photo opportunity. Any visit to the bridge will likely convince the observer that the enduring popularity of Perrine’s Bridge is well deserved.

Perrine’s Covered Bridge was constructed in 1835 by Benjamin Wood at a cost of $1,200. The wooden, 138-foot-long, one-lane bridge is located adjacent to the New York State Thruway as it spans the Wallkill River. It is open to pedestrian traffic only, having been closed to vehicle traffic since 1930. The bridge is named for James W. Perrine, a French Huguenot immigrant and local tavern owner. It is the second oldest covered bridge in New York State, after Hyde Hall Covered Bridge in Otsego County that was built in 1825. Perrine’s Covered Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Also known as: N/A

Located: Rifton, Town of Esopus

Year built: 1835

Truss: Burr Arch

Length: 138 feet

Builder: Benjamin Wood

Spans: Wallkill River

Bridge traffic: Pedestrian

Listed on National Register: Yes

Ashokan / Turnwood Covered Bridge

Ashokan-Turnwood Covered Bridge, Late SummerThe historic Ashokan-Turnwood Covered Bridge is located at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, New York.

The town lattice truss bridge, spanning 72 feet over the famed Esopus Creek, was originally built in 1885 by Nelson Tompkins to span the Beaver Kill in the small western Catskills hamlet of Turnwood. After being replaced by a modern steel bridge, the covered bridge was sold, and all bridge parts were numbered, dismantled, moved, and reconstructed at its current location, then a private estate, in 1939. The Ashokan-Turnwood Covered Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of 24 covered bridges in New York State that has been identified as historic.

Also known as: New Paltz Campus Covered Bridge

Located: Ashokan Center, Olivebridge, Town of Olive

Year built: 1885 at Turnwood, moved to current location in 1939

Truss: Town Lattice

Length: 72 feet

Builder: Nelson Tompkins

Spans: Esopus Creek

Bridge traffic: Pedestrian

Listed on National Register: Yes

Friendship Manor Covered Bridge

Friendship Manor Covered BridgePine Hill, Ulster County

The Friendship Manor Covered Bridge, also known as the Pine Hill Covered Bridge, is located in the hamlet of Pine Hill in Ulster County, New York. The bridge was constructed in 1992. It is 72 feet long and 22 feet wide as it spans Birch Creek to serve as the entrance for the 28 acre Belleayre Mountain Pine Hill Lake Day Use Area. The one lane bridge is open for auto traffic but is only open with the day-use area. The bridge also includes a pedestrian walkway. The bridge was designed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The “Friendship Manor” names comes from a former resort that was located near the day-use area but burned down in the 1970s.

Also known as: Pine Hill Covered Bridge

Located: Pine Hill, Town of Shandaken

Year built: 1992

Truss: Stringer

Length: 72 feet

Builder: Fort Miller Co. / Chesterfield Associates

Spans: Birch Creek

Bridge traffic: Vehicle, Pedestrian

Listed on National Register: No