Covered bridges provide a clear thread for exploring Ashtabula County. You can discover them on a scenic driving tour that passes through rural communities. This combines an interest in the structures with views of their rural surroundings. Alongside the bridges, the County’s Lake Erie shoreline, rivers, historic buildings, and regional wine connections also shape its character.
Bridges and an Annual Fall Event
The Smolen-Gulf Bridge is 613 feet long and is considered the longest covered bridge in the United States. Built in 2016, the Riverview pedestrian bridge is located beneath the Smolen-Gulf Bridge. The two structures are notable for different features: Smolen-Gulf for its length and national ranking, and Riverview for its construction date and location beneath the other bridge.
The Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival takes place every year on the second weekend in October. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the specific festival dates in advance. The driving tour and the festival offer different ways to plan: the tour is devoted to exploring the bridges, while the festival is an annual event on the calendar.
Shoreline, Rivers, and Activities
Ashtabula County has 26 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie. Its visitor profile also includes four scenic rivers and two state parks. The Harpersfield Covered Bridge Metropark offers a specific connection to a river: it covers 53 acres along the Grand River. Fishing and kayaking are available in the park.
These options appeal to different interests: the driving tour passes through rural communities and focuses on the bridges, while fishing and kayaking are the activities offered at Harpersfield Covered Bridge Metropark. If you’re considering which focus appeals to you most, it’s easy to distinguish between these two options. The County’s shoreline and rivers are also part of the landscape, while the metropark is a specific place with two activities explicitly mentioned.
Buildings and History
The Joshua Giddings Law Office was originally built in 1823. The Jennie Munger Gregory Memorial Museum was the first timber-frame building constructed along the Lake Erie shoreline belonging to Ashtabula County. Blakeslee Log Cabin is among the oldest surviving log cabins in the Western Reserve. These three historical connections are distinct: the Law Office is notable for a specific construction date, the museum for its unique status on the County’s shoreline, and the log cabin for being among the oldest surviving log cabins in the Western Reserve. Together, they offer historical interest ranging from a date and timber-frame construction to the history of a log cabin.
Wine Country in Greater Northeast Ohio
Wine is also part of the travel experience, though in the broader regional context: Northeast Ohio’s wine country attracts visitors for winery tours and wine tastings. This perspective beyond the County adds another dimension to the bridges, scenery, and history. If you’re interested in wineries and tastings, you can think of wine country as part of greater Northeast Ohio.
Discover more destinations: Austinburg Township, North Kingsville, Geneva-On-The-Lake, Ashtabula, Conneaut, Noble County, Ashland County, Preble County.
For the broader travel overview: Ohio.
