Six bridges, one town
Most Vermont towns are proud of a single covered bridge. Montgomery, tucked into the Green Mountain foothills at the foot of Jay Peak, has six within its limits — the highest concentration of covered timber bridges in any town in the United States.
All span the Trout River and its tributaries, and all are the work of local master carpenters, the Jewett brothers, who built them in the second half of the 19th century.
Why Montgomery has so many
Montgomery’s mountain valleys were crossed by the fast, flood-prone Trout River and its brooks, which demanded sturdy bridges. The Jewetts used the Town Lattice Truss — an overlapping criss-cross web of planks that spreads the load — and roofed each span so the structural deck would not rot under heavy subarctic snow.
Protected that way, the bridges have stood for well over 140 years. The oldest, Longley, dates to 1863; most of the rest went up around 1883.
The self-guided bridge route
The bridges make an easy self-guided driving loop from Montgomery Village; several sit on quiet gravel lanes ideal for photos, especially in mid-October foliage.
Creamery (1883) — near the village on Creamery Bridge Road, by the site of an old butter factory.
Fuller (1890) — spans Black Falls Brook off Route 118, framed by birches.
Hectorville (1883) — over the Trout River on Gibou Road, deep in mountain hardwoods.
Hutchins (1883) — crosses the main Trout River on Hutchins Bridge Road.
Comstock (1883) — near Montgomery Center, with a covered pedestrian walkway.
Longley (1863) — the town’s oldest, spanning the Trout River on Longley Bridge Road.
Beyond the bridges
Montgomery is also the western gateway to Jay Peak, ten minutes up Route 242, which draws skiers to the deepest natural snow in the East each winter and hikers to the Long Trail and Hazen’s Notch in summer.
The Black Lantern Inn — a tavern and farm-to-table restaurant open since 1803.
The Belfry — craft beer and pub fare in a converted one-room schoolhouse.
Montgomery Center for the Arts — galleries and live music in a restored 1890s church.
Good to know
How many covered bridges does Montgomery have?+
Six, all over the Trout River and its tributaries — the most of any single town in the United States.
Can you drive through them?+
Several remain open to vehicles on their gravel lanes; others are best visited on foot for photos. The full loop from Montgomery Village takes about an hour by car.
When is the best time to visit?+
Mid-October, when the surrounding mountain hardwoods turn red and gold behind the bridges — though they photograph beautifully under winter snow too.