A county line north of the gorges sits one of the most photographed spots in Ohio: a little red covered bridge hanging 35 feet over a sandstone chasm, next to a four-story grist mill older than the state's railroads. Fairfield County once had more covered bridges than any county in Ohio — 279 of them — and the survivors make the region's best rainy-day-or-golden-hour driving tour.
Rock Mill: the essential stop
At Stebelton Park near Lancaster, the Rock Mill Covered Bridge (1901, Queenpost truss, National Register of Historic Places) spans about 37 feet across the young Hocking River — here a rushing gorge stream near its headwaters, nothing like the placid river downstream. It replaced an 1849 bridge, was builder Jacob "Blue Jeans" Brandt's last new span in the county, and now carries foot traffic only. Beside it stands Rock Mill itself: a grist mill built in 1824 on a site milled since 1799, fully restored after the Stebelton family donated it in 2005, with volunteer-led tours in season. Mill-and-covered-bridge pairs like this were once everywhere in Ohio; this is one of only two left in the state, and among the last in the nation.
The Fairfield County bridge trail
The Fairfield County Park District preserves five covered bridges, several relocated into parks where you can walk them:
| Bridge | Where |
|---|---|
| Rock Mill Bridge | Stebelton Park at Rock Mill, Bloom Township |
| Hanaway (Clearport) Bridge | Two Glaciers Park, Clearport Rd — an 1881-era James Buchanan span on its original site |
| Mink Hollow (Oil Mill Hollow) Bridge | Arney Run Park, Lancaster — another Brandt bridge |
| John Raab & George Hutchins bridges | Relocated into county parks around Lancaster |
| John Bright Bridge (1881) | Fairfield County Fairgrounds, moved 1988 |
The park district publishes a Covered Bridge Trail Guide mapping a drivable loop of all of them plus a WPA-era pedestrian bridge — an easy half-day from any Hocking Hills cabin, and Visit Fairfield County keeps the current guide online.
Why so many bridges here?
The same geography that makes Hocking Hills: water everywhere, cutting everything. Fairfield County's dense web of creeks demanded crossings, local timber supplied them, and roofs made wooden trusses last decades instead of years. The 279 became a handful as concrete replaced wood — which is exactly what makes the survivors worth the detour.
Add the bridges to a Hills trip
Rock Mill is a 25–35 minute drive from most Hocking Hills cabins — an easy half-day loop with Lancaster lunch included.
Find Cabins & Lodging →Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Rock Mill Covered Bridge?
At Stebelton Park at Rock Mill near Lancaster, Ohio — spanning a gorge of the upper Hocking River beside the restored 1824 Rock Mill grist mill, roughly 25–35 minutes north of the Hocking Hills park corridor.
Can you walk through the covered bridges?
Yes — Rock Mill Bridge is pedestrian-only, and the Fairfield County Park District's other preserved bridges (Hanaway, Mink Hollow, John Raab, George Hutchins, John Bright) sit in public parks and the fairgrounds where visitors can walk them.
How many covered bridges did Fairfield County have?
A recorded 279 — the most of any Ohio county, per Miriam Wood's atlas of Ohio covered bridges. A handful survive today, preserved and mapped on the county's Covered Bridge Trail Guide.