sandy creek covered bridge state historic site

I've been going there for 30 years. They just don't make covered bridges any more. This one has been ready to be torn down but is still there and able to walk across. Enjoy, bring your camera.

Still loving this place. It's pretty much in our backyard and so family friendly, every time we go. The Park's Dept. keeps it clean. If you're going on a weekend and you have a photo shoot in mind, you might want to bring your PATIENCE, because I've seen many a rude photographer... but that's not the park's fault, right? lol On the whole, everyone is so nice. People know to clean up after their dogs and keep their trash picked up. The creek has always been so clean and I haven't been afraid to let my little one's wade around and get wet. We generally spend a couple of hours, bbqing and watching the kiddos splash in the water or sometimes, I bring a book and a lawn chair and just chill :-) One weekend I even watched a beautiful little wedding take place. SO cool and you have to visit at least once!BTW... there is no playground equipment. My preschool aged little ones have never complained though because they like finding "nature things".... like frogs, cool rocks and strange water plants. There's a lot of bamboo by the creek that one of my girls likes collecting to make her "Fairy" houses. So, there's not a lot of man made activities but the nature will keep the little ones busy, I would think.

A park that is very nicely done. Wedding was held on the day we visited which added to the charm and beauty.

I really do love exploring my home state of Missouri. There are so many cool state parks and historical sites to see. The kids and I were on the way home from picking up my oldest from summer camp and I knew this would be a neat place to check out on our way home. It's not far off the hiway...about 2 miles and the signs make it easy to find. The parking lot wasn't huge but we did find a spot in the shade. Once you park, the covered bridge is only about 100 feet from the parking lot. There are a couple of picnic tables and some BBQ pits if you want to make a day out of it. The bridge was really cool to see. It's the first one I've ever seen in MO. I guess at one time there were 30 covered bridges in the state and now there are only four! Great photo opportunities. The girls had on their swimsuits already from playing in the river at near by Washington State Park so they had a great time splashing around in the creek. They even found a baby toad and had fun chasing him around. We were only there for about a half hour but the girls were tired and wanted to go home. Good old fashioned fun at Sandy Creek!

I'm partial to this bridge because it's in my back yard but this is a place that my family goes to practice amateur photography, play in the water, bring a book to read with the sound of the creek trickling by for back ground noise, etc... On a spring or cool summer evening, we'll bring a picnic and play frisbee with the kiddos. I've watched many people play catch with their well behaved dogs and most people are good about cleaning up after their furbabies (I'm pretty sure the park dept even offers free plastic baggies for poop removal!). A lot of local people bring their kids and lawn chairs to sit in the water and play... why not!? It's free entertainment, just like I imagine the "olden days" where families still talked (using voices and NOT text) and played together out in nature! Every season seems to offer something new. I've photographed this bridge in the snow, with the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees, in the Springtime when the flooded creek came up to the floor of the bridge and in the summer, when the kids find treasures in the water. Treasures like fossilized snails and other insects. My niece likes to try and catch bull frogs! lol The wildlife is pretty cool. It would be a good day trip for a home school science class or a history lesson. There aren't many covered bridges left in the USA. I'm pretty proud of ours! Just come down, relax and enjoy the simpler things in life :-) Oh and I almost forgot to mention that their are restroom facilities that are kept CLEAN! lol There are picnic tables with grills. Also I saw one review that said the water is only ankle deep. That's true in the hot summer months BUT there are areas where the water will go waist deep and I've actually seen people catching catfish and other fish here.

The Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is a state park now. It is a really nice setting with trees, grass, and the creek, and of course the bridge for scenery. There are several picnic areas, with tables and grills if you choose. You can walk to and through the bridge, down the hill and play in the creek but they don't allow bicycles in the park. It is free to park and explore so if you're in the area or just enjoy old covered bridges, this is a great place to spend an hour.

Did you know that Missouri has four remaining covered bridges in the state and they are all State Historic sites? This week we visited Sandy Creek Covered Bridge since it is the closest to where we live. It was a beautiful day for a picnic and lots of photo shooting. We choose a picnic table very close to the creek where we could hear the water as it trickled by. This is a beautiful peaceful setting, surrounded by trees and wild flowers growing everywhere and is easy to get to, yet off the beaten track. The water in the creek is probably little more than ankle deep which makes for good wading when summer arrives. The three remaining covered bridges are Locust Creek Covered Bridge, Union Covered Bridge (both are north of St. Louis) and Burfordville Covered Bridge (south of St. Louis). You can find directions and other information on the internet regarding these structures. Needless to say, we will be going back again in the fall when the trees have turned colors and I will shoot lots of pictures again. This is a really lovely place to go for just a very relaxing day.