Snow-Covered Gifford Covered Bridge in Vermont

What makes a great Covered Bridge image?

This is a really good question and normally you would be expecting me to show you images of covered bridges in the autumn-fall colors. As you know I love the fall colors surrounding a rustic, covered bridge (or anything). Right after the colors drop and we enter the dreaded “stick season” photographing even the most photogenic covered bridge is problematic.

red, white and blue American flag on a covered bridge in black and white

Here the Cilleyville Covered Bridge in New Hampshire taken during Mid-November is firmly entrenched in stick season and while I have made it a selective black & white, its natural colors are a brown bridge on brown trees and brush. Move the slider to see my selective black & white artistic interpretation.

But once it snows, a covered bridge can really shine. Stick season hands it over to winter and the result is magical.

The Kingsbury Covered Bridge on a snowy winter day — The Kingsbury Covered Bridge is a 46-foot-long Multiple Kingpost Truss. It carries Kingsbury Road over the Second Branch of the White River in South Randolph. This bridge was built in about 1904 and is one of the newest of the historic covered bridges in Vermont.

A red Covered Bridge against a Snowy Backdrop

The first and too many, the only factor that makes a covered bridge stand out is the color. 95% of covered bridges that I have found are left natural or lightly stained (as seen above). The other 5% are painted and most of them are painted red. In winter and against a white backdrop of snow, a red, covered bridge, takes center stage.

The Gifford Covered Bridge, also called the C.K. Smith Covered Bridge, is a wooden covered bridge that crosses the Second Branch of the White River in Randolph, Vermont on Hyde Road, view in my gallery

The Gifford Covered Bridge in Vermont

At the bottom of the article, I have a list of some of the “red” covered bridges that I have run into. But for the purpose of this article, I’m going to talk about this one red-painted covered bridge.

The Gifford covered bridge is one of my favorites in winter captures and I found it for the first time by accident. On our way home from Northern Vermont, We were forced to detour off of Vermont Route 89 after a “snow event” (read this as a blizzard). We were lucky to make it into the parking lot of a motel for the night.

The next morning we saw the roads had been plowed overnight, so we stayed on Route 14 to see what photo opportunities might present themselves. you might say we found ourselves in a winter wonderland. It was very quiet and there were few cars on the road.

When we got to East Royalton we spotted the red, covered bridge off to the left. The Gifford covered bridge takes Hyde Road over the 2nd branch of the White River.

Winter covers the Gifford Covered Bridge. It’s also called the C.K. Smith Covered Bridge. It is a wooden covered bridge that crosses the Second Branch of the White River in Randolph, Vermont on Hyde Road. View in my Gallery.

Another factor as to why covered bridges look great in winter (even if they aren’t painted red) is their solitary nature. Yes, you will find some covered bridges in the center of a town, and Woodstock Vermont with its Middle covered bridge comes to mind. But in many cases, covered bridges are on old farm roads that helped farmers and locals to get across the creek or even wide rivers.

This means a covered bridge is a lifeline to the local populace and they stand out on these lonely roads in winter, there are better views of the covered bridge because the leaves are off the trees. Here is another view of the Gifford covered bridge from the road up the hill, looking back.

Other Covered Bridges Nearby to the Gifford

Two other covered bridges are just off Route 14. One to the North of the Gifford is the Braley Covered Bridge on Braley Road. To the South of the Gifford is the Kingsbury Covered Bridge (seen up above). And if you aren’t worn out yet, just 2 miles east of Route 14 is Route 110. There you will find the town of Tunbridge where there are six more covered bridges that are within 3 miles of the town center. Good hunting!

Red Vermont-covered bridges

If I’m missing a red-painted covered bridge please let me know… I don’t quite have ALL the covered bridges in Vermont but I AM getting close.

Arlington Green Covered Bridge
Chiselville Covered Bridge
Cooley Covered Bridge
Henry Covered Bridge
Randall Covered Bridge
Sanborn Covered Bridge
All Five of the Northfield Covered Bridges
- Moseley Covered Bridge
- Lower Falls Covered Bridge
- Upper Falls Covered Bridge
- Northfield Covered Bridge
- Slaughterhouse Covered Bridge
Paper Mill Covered Bridge
River Road (can be scratched off your list. destroyed)
Silk Road Covered Bridge
Sterling Covered Bridge
Taftsville Covered Bridge
West Cornwall Covered Bridge