Western Pennsylvania doesn’t have the covered bridge count that Lancaster or Bucks County can claim, but what’s here has more character per bridge than almost anywhere else in the state. Three of Pennsylvania’s most historic covered bridges sit within about an hour of downtown Pittsburgh; each one built with a different truss design, and each one worth its own stop. If you’re mapping out a fall day trip or a full weekend away, these bridges make a great excuse to point the car toward Mercer and Lawrence County, with a stay at our castle in Sharon as the reason to turn your stay into a romantic getaway.

Kidd’s Mill Covered Bridge: The Last One Standing in Mercer County

Start close to home. Kidd’s Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1868, is the only covered bridge left in Mercer County, and it’s a strange and wonderful one. The bridge uses a Smith truss design, a patented system built off-site in Ohio and shipped in by rail. It’s the easternmost example of that design still standing anywhere in the country. Of the roughly twenty Smith trusses that survive today, this is the only one in Pennsylvania.

The bridge crosses the Shenango River just outside Greenville, in a small park maintained by the Shenango Conservancy after the county nearly tore it down in the 1960s. It’s about a twenty-minute drive from Buhl Mansion, and offers an easy stop with a place to park, a spot to walk down to the water, and a bridge you genuinely can’t see anywhere else in this part of the state. It’s about 20 minutes from our Boutique Hotel.

Banks Covered Bridge: Amish Country’s Quiet Landmark

A short drive south, near New Wilmington, Banks Covered Bridge crosses the Neshannock Creek in a stretch of Lawrence County that still moves at Amish speed. Built in 1889 with a Burr arch truss (the design used in more than half of Pennsylvania’s remaining covered bridges), it’s painted white inside and out, which sets it apart from the red and brown bridges you’ll see elsewhere in the state.

This one made a brief cameo in an episode of The West Wing, of all things, when a nearby farm doubled as rural Indiana for a campaign trail scene. Mostly, though, it’s known for the buggies that still cross it on the way into New Wilmington, a town worth a stop on its own for its walkable center and its share of the state’s second-largest Old Order Amish population. It’s roughly a 30-minute drive from Buhl Mansion.

McConnell’s Mill Covered Bridge: The One With the Gorge

If you’re willing to drive a bit farther toward Pittsburgh, McConnell’s Mill Covered Bridge is worth the trip on its own merits. Built in 1874 with a Howe truss, painted red, and set at the bottom of the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge inside McConnell’s Mill State Park, it’s the most photographed of the three, and it’s earned the nickname “the kissing bridge” over the years.

What makes this stop different is the setting. The bridge sits beside a restored 1868 gristmill, with sugar maples lining the gorge that turn deep red and gold by mid-October, and a network of hiking trails, including the demanding Slippery Rock Gorge Trail, for anyone who wants to make a full afternoon of it. It’s about fifty minutes from Buhl Mansion, closer to an hour if you’re coming from Pittsburgh itself, which makes it a natural last stop before heading back into the city or continuing north to Sharon for the night.

Planning Your Covered Bridge Road Trip

All three bridges sit along a rough line running from Mercer County down into Lawrence County, which means you can hit all of them in a single day if you start early, or split the drive across a weekend with room to explore the towns in between. New Wilmington and Volant both sit close to the route, and if you’re continuing on toward Pittsburgh, our recent guide to unique places to visit near Pittsburgh covers more of what’s along the way, including McConnell’s Mill State Park itself.

Fall is the best time to do this drive. The gorge at McConnell’s Mill, the riverbank at Kidd’s Mill, and the creek crossing at Banks all look their best once the leaves turn, typically mid-to-late October in this part of the state. Bring a camera and expect to want more than one stop.

Make It an Overnight Stay

A day of bridge-hopping deserves a proper end point, and a historic castle in Pennsylvania makes a fitting one. Buhl Mansion sits in Sharon, within easy striking distance of all three bridges, with a turret room, a gas fireplace, and a spa waiting when you get back. Pair the day with a treatment at the Buhl Mansion Spa, or simply come home to romantic indulgence and breakfast in bed the next morning. Book your room and make the bridges the excuse for the trip, and the castle the reason to stay.

FAQ

How many covered bridges are in Mercer County, PA?
One. Kidd’s Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1868, is the last remaining covered bridge in Mercer County.

Are there covered bridges near Pittsburgh?
Yes. The closest is McConnell’s Mill Covered Bridge, about an hour from downtown Pittsburgh, inside McConnell’s Mill State Park in Lawrence County.

What’s the best time of year to visit these covered bridges?
Mid-to-late October, when fall foliage is at its peak in the gorges and along the creeks and rivers each bridge crosses.