The Catskills are in many ways a very unique part of New York State. There some truly neat features that can almost only be found in this small area of New York State, like covered bridges. These beautiful, old structures that cross the many rivers and creeks flowing through the mountainous terrain of the Catskills are historic treasures of a long-lost era.
Constructed: 1865
Length: 98 Feet
Beaverkill Covered Bridge
The 98 ft. long Beaverkill Covered Bridge, also known as Conklin Bridge, was built by John Davidson in 1865 to cross over the Beaverkill River. Visitors can drive across this bridge from either direction but it is a one-lane bridge. There is a 3-ton weight limit and 6′ 6″ clearance. The inside of the bridge is constructed with a “Town lattice truss” which assists the bridge in being able to span as far as it does. Some people might be a little nervous about driving across a bridge built in 1865. Let me set your mind at ease, Beaverkill Covered Bridge recently underwent a restoration in 2017.
This was the first covered bridge that we visited in the Catskills. We really enjoyed driving over it but as this particular bridge is a popular destination for people visiting Beaverkill Campground and has cars driving over it quite frequently, we couldn’t explore the inside as much as I would have liked to. Incidentally, this bridge was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2007.
The Beaverkill River
While we were here, we were also able to explore the Beaverkill River. This was one of the nice features of this bridge. There is a park here that allows for easy access to the water. It was a really nice day, so walking around in the water and climbing over the large rocks was refreshing as well as fun. We found a lot of these bugs that look almost like flat scorpions on lots of the rocks. We looked up what they were and it turns out that they were actually dragonfly nymphs. It was a fascinating discovery.
The Beaverkill River is one of the best fly fishing rivers in New York State. While we were there you couldn’t pass a stretch of the river (which eventually becomes part of the East Branch of the Delaware River) without seeing a fly fisherman.
Day Use Park
There is a day-use area here that guests can use to picnic and enjoy the river and the scenic view of the bridge. This area is part of the Beaverkill DEC Campground, however, you can’t enter the campground from here. There are grills and picnic tables perfect for enjoying the area. There is also a sizeable parking lot that also allows people to safely leave their cars and explore the Bridge and River.
Visiting Beaverkill Covered Bridge
GPS Location: 41.9816, -74.8362
Address: 3 Ragin Rd., Roscoe, NY
Google Map Link
Have you visited Beaverkill Covered Bridge? Do you have a favorite covered bridge in New York State? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.
