Southwestern New Hampshire Covered Bridges Day Trip in Swanzey and Winchester

Welcome to the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire Covered Bridges

Covered bridges, especially wooden, red bridges, are a popular New England attraction for their history and the countryside landscapes they are situated in. Over 50 covered bridges still stand in New Hampshire, and you can spend a morning or afternoon driving through the scenic Monadnock Region towns of Swanzey and Winchester to see six historic covered bridges originally built or rebuilt in the 19th century.

This post is updated from my February 2024 day trip and now shows you six covered bridges in New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region and offers tips to help you plan a fun day trip.

How to get to New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region Covered Bridges

Your driving tour of NH covered bridges in the Monadnock Region starts at the Carlton Covered Bridge in Swanzey. From here, you can drive to the Cresson, Slate and Thompson covered bridges in Swanzey and then to the Coombs and Ashuelot covered bridges in Winchester.

This website provides historical information and addresses of the four covered bridges in Swanzey.

What to see at southwestern New Hampshire Covered Bridges

The first of the four covered bridges we saw in Swanzey is the Carlton Covered Bridge, originally constructed in 1789 and rebuilt in 1869. Listed as number seven in NH, there is a pull off for one or two vehicles on right side of Carlton Road by the bridge if you are driving from Old Homestead Highway (route 32).

A traditional red, wooden structure, Carlton Bridge is best seen and photographed from the side on the slopes down to the Ashuelot River. You can also walk through it while paying close attention to traffic.

About a five-mile drive up route 32, the Cresson Covered Bridge (aka. Sawyer’s Crossing Covered Bridge) crosses the Ashuelot River on Sawyer’s Crossing Road and was built in 1859. Designated number six in New Hampshire, this wooden truss bridge is painted red.

During our visit, we did not see a lot for parking (this could be because of snow cover) and parked a bit off the side of the road. It took a while to snap this photo of the Cresson Bridge because of the volume of auto traffic driving through and by seeing this bridge in the afternoon winter blues sky, you experience a classic New Hampshire winter landscape.

Continuing our covered bridges drive, our next stop was the Thompson Covered Bridge on Main Street in West Swanzey, NH over the Ashuelot River. Listed as NH covered bridge number five, this lattice truss bridge was built in 1832, and there are partially covered sidewalks on each side with views of the river.

Also known as the Denman Thomson Bridge, there is a parking lot (look for a gazebo on the side of the river) that was plowed during our visit. From here, you can walk to the river shore (the banks are accessible when there is no snow) and see the small rapids. To get up close views, walk onto the sidewalk path from either side of the bridge.

Our next stop in Swanzey, NH is the Slate Covered Bridge on Westport Village Road. Designated number four, the current structure was built in 2001 to replace the original structure built in 1862 and sits over a quiet section of the Ashuelot River.

When you stand in front of the bridge (as shown above), you’ll notice the fairly modern look and the bright red color typical of 19th century wooden bridges.

There are very small dirt parking pull offs on each side of the bridge. It’s fun to see the Slate Covered Bridge up close and from a distance for a sense of place in the landscape.

To complete your day trip touring New Hampshire covered bridges, take a fairly short drive south on NH-10 to Winchester and in less than two miles, you’ll see the 1837 Coombs Covered Bridge on Coombs Bridge Road. There is a very small pull off area before the bridge on the right hand side of the road to park; the road and passage through the one-lane bridge are narrow.

Designated number two in New Hampshire, the Coombs Covered Bridge is a lattice truss design spanning 107 feet. Walking through the bridge (carefully as traffic does go through), it’s really cool to see the 19th century wooden architecture.

Tip: Don’t forget to pause a bit and take in the beautiful, scenic Ashuelot River view by the eastern edge of the bridge.

Drive about 10 minutes further south on NH-10 to the last stop on your Monadnock Region covered bridge day trip in the village of Winchester, NH. Standing on Gunn Mountain Road over the Ashuelot River, the 178-foot wooden Ashuelot Covered Bridge is designated number one in New Hampshire and was constructed in 1864.

The Ashuelot Covered Bridge’s intricate design can be seen both inside by walking on sidewalks (both sides) and from a distance. It’s lattice design is open so you can see the river while walking through the central frame.

Tip: Be sure to stand on the covered sidewalks for great views of the Ashuelot River. It’s so serene and beautiful on a bright day.

There was not a parking pull off due to snow cover so we parked at the side of the road an walked to the bridge. There are partially-covered walkways on each side of the bridge, and you can make your way down to the riverbank for scenic views of the NH landscape (it can be slick after snow).

Have you seen any covered bridges in the Monadnock Region or state of New Hampshire? What’s your favorite New Hampshire Covered Bridge?

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