Autumn Roadtrip: 4 rustic covered bridges in NC to visit this fall

If you want to visit a covered bridge, there are several pretty close to the Triangle.

Posted 2:59 p.m. Oct 20 — Updated 1:39 p.m. Oct 22

Heather Leah

, WRAL multiplatform producer

There's something magical about walking through a covered bridge – especially in autumn. It's like a portal through time, with wooden beams and colorful leaves peeking through the sunlight at the end of the tunnel.

Built in 1895, Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is the oldest remaining covered bridge in North Carolina.

In a time before automobiles, when stagecoach roads were still a primary means of transportation, North Carolina once had many covered bridges. Now, only a handful remain. Many were washed away in floods, torn down as times changed, or simply rotted away over the decades.

However, if you want to visit a covered bridge, there are several pretty close to the Triangle.

1. Bunker Hill: Oldest covered bridge remaining in NC

This beautiful lattice truss covered bridge is the oldest covered bridge still standing in the entire state – and one of only two remaining original covered bridges. Completed in 1895, it's survived over 125 years of weather and development.

Located only a mile away from a former stagecoach stop, the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visit the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge: 4160 US-70, Claremont, NC 28610

2. Ole Gilliam Mill: Longest covered bridge in NC

The longest covered bridge in North Carolina stretches 140 feet long. It's part of the Ole Gilliam Mill Park in Sanford.

Stretching an incredible 140 feet across rushing water, the Ole Gilliam Mill covered bridge feels like a portal through time. Complete with an old windmill and reconstruction of an old mill site from the 1800s, it's part of the Ole Gilliam Mill historic park, which is open for visitors to explore.

Like many mills from that era, it was washed away in a flood. However, it was lovingly rebuilt as close to the original construction as possible by volunteers and history-lovers in the area. Each year, the park hosts an Ole Mill Crank-Up, inviting visitors inside the mill, which still functions, to taste home-milled corn and experience what life was like on the mill in the 1800s.

The bridge was built in the past few decades as part of the park, so it isn't an antique – but it adds flair and historic insight to the park, and is an incredible piece of architecture as the longest covered bridge in the state.

Visit the Ole Gilliam Mill Covered Bridge: 4699 Carbonton Rd. Sanford, NC 27330

3. Pisgah Covered Bridge: One of only two original covered bridges in NC

Pisgah covered bridge was built in 1910, but was washed away in 2003 and rebuilt. It's one of NC's oldest remaining covered bridges.

Built in 1910, Pisgah Covered Bridge isn't quite as old as Bunker Hill, but it's definitely historic. It spans the Little River in Uwharrie National Forest near Asheboro. It only cost $40.

Sadly, the antique bridge was washed away in 2003, after surviving almost a full century. Volunteers managed to gather the original pieces of the bridge and reconstruct it at its original site, but with a new foundation. It re-opened in 2004.

Because it was rebuilt with its original pieces, it's considered one of only two original covered bridges in NC. Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is the other one.

Visit Pisgah Covered Bridge: 6925 Pisgah Covered Bridge Road

4. Heritage Bridge: Entryway to historic Old Salem

It may look historic and serve as the entryway to historic Old Salem, but the Old Salem covered bridge was built in 1998. The beautiful structure is built near the site of NC's first Moravian community.

It may appear historic, serving as the gateway Old Salem, but this covered bridge was built in 1998. The rustic structure is a popular spot for photos, built near the site of NC's first Moravian community.

At Christmastime, Moravian stars dangle and shine from the timber beams overhead. The bridge spans 120 feet – but unlike the other bridges on this list, it doesn't cross a rushing river; it crosses a busy street.

The beautiful bridge has windows, allowing visitors a bird's eye look of the historic sights below – serving as a picturesque part of a full day of history in Old Salem.

Visit the Heritage Bridge: 900 Old Salem Road

Fairy-tale road trip: Explore 4 real-life castles in North Carolina

Would you rather visit some of NC's castles instead?

North Carolina has plenty of enchanting sites to explore, especially in the autumn! Aside from rustic covered bridges, did you know there are also several castles within an hour's drive of the Triangle?