Madison County is the Covered Bridge Capital of Iowa, with the largest group of covered bridges that exists in one area in the western half of the Mississippi Valley. Stop by our Welcome Center at 73 Jefferson Street in Winterset for a map and brochure about visiting the Covered Bridges.

Personal guided tours of Madison County and the covered bridges are our specialty! Each two-hour tour includes information on the construction and history of the bridges, the movie production, and a variety of local historical information. Your expert tour guide will join you in your personal vehicle, guiding you to several of the covered bridges and telling insightful stories along the way. (You must have a seat available for the tour guide with a seat belt!)

Fees are as follows:

  • $50 (for up to 5 passengers; this is the minimum fee required)
  • For each additional passenger add $10 per person.

Are you a motorcoach operator or planning a large group gathering? Visit our “For Tour Planners” page here.

If you’re planning to visit the covered bridges and are concerned about driving on gravel/dirt roads, here’s what you should know:

We have two bridges that are accessible by pavement only – Imes Bridge in St. Charles, and the Cutler-Donahoe Bridge at City Park in Winterset. Cedar Bridge is accessible via Cedar Bridge Road, which is mostly pavement south of the bridge. You would only be on gravel for a couple hundred feet.

The final three are on gravel/dirt roads – the Roseman, the Hogback and the Holliwell. Holliwell Bridge is on 1.9 miles of gravel after turning right onto Norwood Ave from E. Court Ave. If you access Hogback Bridge from 195th Street, then Hogback Bridge Road, it’s just over 2 miles of gravel. The Roseman is the furthest on gravel – 4.3 miles if you turn onto Roseman Bridge Road from I-92 to Elderberry. However, if you want to drive on less gravel, keep on I-92 to Elmwood Ave, and it’s only 2.2 miles of gravel.