Georgia's Covered Bridges
Stovall Mill is close to Helen; the rest make a road trip
The short version
Why the bridges got a roof
A wooden bridge left uncovered rots quickly, so builders put a roof and walls over the trusses to protect the timbers. That is why a handful of these bridges are still standing more than a century later. Georgia has only a small number left, and a list of the state's covered bridges counts about 16 wooden ones still standing.
The closest one to Helen is easy to reach. Most of the rest are scattered across the Piedmont, so plan a road trip if you want to see more than one. The Helen covered bridges guide covers the nearby ones in more detail.
Stovall Mill Covered Bridge
Stovall Mill Covered Bridge is the one to see from Helen. It crosses Chickamauga Creek in the Sautee Nacoochee Valley, off GA-255, about 7 miles and 15 minutes from downtown. It was built in 1895, it's the smallest covered bridge in Georgia, and the White County Historical Society owns it. Hollywood noticed it too: the 1951 film I'd Climb the Highest Mountain, with Susan Hayward, William Lundigan and Rory Calhoun, used it as a location.
The bridge is free and open to the public. It's short and quick, so pair it with the rest of the valley: the Old Sautee Store, the Sautee Nacoochee Center and Nora Mill. Our Nacoochee Valley history explains the land around it.
Poole's Mill Covered Bridge
Poole's Mill is in Forsyth County, not the mountains, about 50 miles and an hour and 15 minutes from Helen. It spans Settingdown Creek and is 96 feet long with a Town lattice truss held together by wooden pegs. Wikipedia's account says Cherokee Chief George Welch built mills and a bridge at the site around 1820, and that the land changed hands after the 1838 removal, and Dr. M.L. Pool acquired it after 1870, which is where the name comes from.
The current bridge dates to 1901 and was designed by John Wofford and Bud Gentry. The beams were cut at the sawmill and the holes were bored in the wrong places, so Gentry had to oversee redrilling, and you can still see the extra holes. An earlier bridge washed away in an 1899 flood. By the mid-1990s the bridge needed repairs, a support pier was added, and the surrounding land became Poole's Mill Park. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 1975.
Poole's Mill Park is run by the county, so check Forsyth County's parks page for current hours before you go.
Other covered bridges in Georgia
If you build a road trip around these, here's the lineup, using the Wikipedia list of Georgia covered bridges.
| Bridge | County | Built | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stovall Mill | White | 1895 | About 33 to 37 ft | Georgia's smallest covered bridge, over Chickamauga Creek near GA-255. The closest to Helen. |
| Poole's Mill | Forsyth | 1901 | About 95 ft | Town lattice truss, in Poole's Mill Park near Ball Ground and Cumming. |
| Cromer's Mill | Franklin | 1906 | 132 ft | Town lattice truss in northeast Georgia. |
| Elder's Mill | Oconee | 1897 | 100 ft | Town lattice truss. |
| Watson Mill | Madison | 1885 | 228.6 ft | The longest on the list; it's the centerpiece of Watson Mill Bridge State Park. |
| Howard's | Oglethorpe | 1905 | 168 ft | Town lattice truss. |
| Concord | Cobb | 1872 | 131.7 ft | Queen-rod truss, in metro Atlanta. |
| Auchumpkee Creek | Upson | 1892 (rebuilt 1997) | 96 ft | Town lattice truss in middle Georgia. |
| Coheelee Creek | Early | 1891 | 96 ft | The southernmost covered bridge in the United States. |
Covered bridge questions
What is the closest covered bridge to Helen?
Stovall Mill Covered Bridge in the Sautee Nacoochee Valley, about 7 miles and 15 minutes from downtown. It's free to visit and open to the public.
Is Stovall Mill the shortest covered bridge in Georgia?
Yes, Georgia's smallest. It's about 33 to 37 feet long, depending on the source.
How far is Poole's Mill from Helen?
About 50 miles and an hour and 15 minutes by road, in Forsyth County near Ball Ground. It's a separate trip from the mountains.
Related Imagery from Around Helen
