On the Road: 3 Covered Bridges and a waterfall in maryland

When I think of covered bridges, New England often comes to mind. I picture a bright red wooden bridge against a backdrop of fiery orange and red leaves. After seeing a Maryland covered bridge photo recently on social media, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Maryland tourism office spotlights 6 historic bridges scattered throughout the state. Surprisingly, 3 of the covered bridges are located in Frederick County, Maryland, about 60 miles from downtown DC. With the timing of peak fall leaf color a bit inconsistent this year, we took advantage of a recent blue sky fall weekend to a check out the covered bridges. Although the trees had already shed some of their leaves, there were still plenty of photo opportunities with the bridges and surrounding area. The Frederick County location also happens to be close to popular Cunningham Falls State Park, which is a perfect place for a waterfall hike in any season. Keep reading to see some of my favorite photos from our day trip to see the a few of Maryland’s covered bridges plus the nearby Cunningham Falls.

The Covered Bridges of Frederick County

If you have never been to Frederick County, Maryland, it’s an area with plenty to offer, especially for day trippers. Take a drive through scenic back roads, If you have never been to Frederick County, Maryland, it’s an area with plenty to offer, especially for day trippers. Take a drive through scenic back roads, enjoy a food tour where you can sample your way through small town Frederick, or connect with nature at Cunningham Falls State Park. But the most interesting thing I recently discovered is the 3 historic covered bridges, all within a short drive from each other. 

Begin your journey to the covered bridges by taking Old Frederick Road, just off Route 15, about 8 miles from Frederick. In Maryland, Route 15, known as the Catoctin Mountain Highway, runs from the Virginia border all the way to Pennsylvania. Once off the highway, enjoy winding country roads, and keep your eyes out for the signs for the historic bridges. They are well marked and just off the main road, so it’s pretty easy to find them. The 3 bridges along the route are Utica Mills, Loys Station, and  Roddy Road and it’s quick to get from one to the other. Visitors definitely need to be smart about watching for traffic while taking pictures inside and around these single lane bridges, as these roads are definitely well traveled by the locals.  

If you are driving from Frederick, the first bridge you’ll reach is Utica Mills, The original structure was built in 1850, but after much of it was washed away in a flood, the remaining portion was moved and reassembled over Fishing Creek, the present location. To be honest, there really isn’t much parking near Utica Mills, and we wanted to photograph the other bridges before the mid day sun hit, so we decided we would return to this bridge at the end. The next bridge we came across was the Loys Station Bridge, where we were surprised to find not only a large parking area at adjacent Loys Station Park, but a playground with a picnic shelter and tables. The original bridge was built in 1848, was burned down in 1991, and subsequently rebuilt. You can find the Loys Station Bridge on the National Register of Historic Places, added in 1978. Our timing of the fall leaves was about a week late, but I thought there were still plenty of great photo opportunities at this site, and we spent about 30 minutes here. Just a few minutes down the road, the third bridge on the route is the Roddy Road Covered Bridge, which crosses picturesque Owen’s Creek. Originally built in the mid 1800’s, over the years, the bridge suffered damage on several occasions from oversized trucks, and the bridge that is standing today is a replica bridge built in 2017. This bridge also has ample parking, which made it easy for us to spend another 30 - 45 minutes photographing not only the bridge but the scenic views of the creek. Definitely my favorite of the 3 bridges as far as photography!  At this point, as we were close to the main highway, we decided to head over to Cunningham Falls, so we never did make it back to photograph Utica Mills. Guess we will have to head back in the spring and photograph the bridges with the trees in full bloom.  Learn more about all 6 of Maryland’s covered bridges.    

​cunningham falls state park

Just minutes from the historic covered bridges, you’ll find Cunningham Falls State Park. Tucked away in the Catoctin Mountains, it’s a place where you can take a family friendly hike on the Lower Falls Trail and see its signature cascading 78-foot waterfall. With swimming, hiking, and camping available throughout the park, visitors can find something to do no matter the season. Trails within the park range from half a mile to just over 7 miles with a variety of terrain, and fall is a colorful time of year to explore. During the summer months, the popular swimming areas often gets filled to capacity. Except for the sandy beach area near the lake, the park is pet friendly, and, along with our dog, we saw plenty of other dogs during our short hike to the falls. 

​Local Tip: If you are heading to Frederick County from Northern Virginia and take Route 15 past Leesburg, stop at Roots 657 along the way.  With locally sourced foods and their signature smoked brisket, you won’t be disappointed. Plus they offer a variety of specialty snacks and a fun candy selection, perfect for a day trip. 

Pin for later