Swann Covered Bridge Blount County, Alabama

Swann Covered Bridge Blount County, Alabama

Have you ever experienced one of those perfect road trips where everything just falls into place?

Last spring, my parents’ traveled from Ohio to Alabama so my family could show them some of the reasons we had grown to love Alabama (and why we miss it now)- keeping in mind the interests of both my mom and dad. Not necessarily an easy feat, but the day fell together perfectly and turned into one of those amazing days that I’ll cherish forever.

I planned to take the day and travel to Blount County, northeast of Birmingham, where three of the thirty covered bridges in the state can be found.

Our favorite, Swann Covered Bridge, was built in 1933 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge, with a total span of nearly 330 feet, stretches above the Locust Fork River, making it the longest surviving bridge in the state of Alabama as well as one of the longest in the United States.

Though the bridge is easy to find off State Route 79, just outside Cleveland, the road is closed at the top of the hill, making the bridge inaccessible. Since I had followed the directions printed on the brochure that I’d picked up at the visitor’s center, I did park my van with a couple other vehicles and we walked down the hill to the bridge. The walk to the bridge was about a half mile or so and though the view approaching the bridge was beautiful, I was uncomfortable leaving my van behind so we didn’t linger and enjoy it as much as we could have.

I did find a website (after our visit) that stated that the bridge is accessible from the west. You can find the directions and read more about the Swann Covered Bridge – Blount County, Alabama at their site.

Have you visited Swann Covered Bridge in Blount County, Alabama? Maybe you can share the directions you followed?

This post is linked to Photo Friday at Delicious Baby and Friday Daydreaming at R We There Yet Mom?