Sometimes, all it takes to visit the past is to cross a river. Wisconsin has a small but precious collection of covered bridges and they transport visitors to a time of horses and buggies. These old bridges are timeless and beautiful and a worthy target for an adventure. All you need to a tank of gas and the desire to experience something extraordinary. Here are three bridges you can visit on a driving tour of Wisconsin’s Northwoods. In addition to exploring Waupaca Covered Bridge, you'll also experience the other famous covered bridges in Wisconsin.

This tour is a great excuse to drive into the beauty of Northwestern Wisconsin, especially if you’re launching an adventure from the Green Bay or Fox Valley area

To visit all three of these covered bridges will take a little under five hours and cover 277 miles.

1. Waupaca Covered Bridge

The first stop on this road trip is located in Waupaca, pop. 6,000, the county seat of Waupaca County. The town itself makes for an incredible day trip destination in Wisconsin, plus it's home to our first beautiful covered bridge.

The river here drew European settlers in the 1840s and today a bridge will remind you of pioneer times.

The bridge is located just west of the city. While the bridge looks very old, it was built in 1976, a good replica of early covered bridges.

2. Smith Rapids Covered Bridge

The second stop on this tour can be found between Minocqua and Park Falls, in the heart of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Like the Waupaca bridge, this structure is newer than it looks. It was built in 1991.

The bridge is stunning – it’s worth pulling over to get some photos. Learn more about visiting this stunning covered bridge in Wisconsin.

3. Horton Covered Bridge (Amnicon Falls State Park)

The final stop on our covered bridge tour is in one of Wisconsin’s most picturesque state parks. Amnicon Falls State Park is located south of Superior and it’s filled with waterfalls and rapids. Truly, there's something for everyone to enjoy at this little-known state park in Wisconsin.

One of the park’s top attractions is the 55-foot bridge that spans the river at the Lower Falls.

It was built in 1897 or 1898 and it originally was an open highway bridge. It was moved to the park in 1930 and the roof was added in 1939. Take a closer look at all the natural wonders that you'll find at Amnicon Falls State Park when you watch the brief footage below:

Once you’ve explored Wisconsin’s scenic covered bridges, here are some beautiful backroads drives you might want to explore. And, speaking of road trips, don't forget to check out our ultimate road trip essentials packing list!