They call it the Bridge of Dreams because skeptics thought that turning a 370 foot long railroad bridge into a covered bridge was impossible. Turns out it was expensive but not impossible at all.
Today, it’s the second longest covered bridge in Ohio, second only to this one up in Ashtabula County. It’s also the third longest in America.
The railroad bridge was constructed over the Mohican River in the 1920s and abandoned about seventy years later. Like so many abandoned rail lines in this country, a portion was acquired locally and eventually transformed into a rail trail called Mohican Valley Trail. The bridge was covered through private donations and grant money.
I visited on a cool October morning, pulling my jacket tighter as I walked the short distance from the parking lot to the bridge. The foliage along the trail was quite pretty. The trail is paved and rather wide so I’m told you sometimes will see Amish buggies along the way. In other words, watch where you step.
As much as I enjoyed being in the bridge, I better appreciated being under it. There’s enough room to park under the bridge and east access to the shore. This is clearly a popular place to fish and there are plenty of rocks to admire.
The view of the bridge from this vantage point is second to none.
The Mohican Valley Trail stretches about 4.5 miles from the village of Danville to the Holmes County line. It is open to pedestrians, cyclists and horses.
If you go, the address to use is 16606 Hunter Road. Use Brinkhaven or Danville as the town, depending on your navigation system. This is a great side trip if you’re in Ohio’s Amish Country.
Make the Journey Fun 