One-Tank Trip: Drive on covered bridge at Ga. state park
COMER, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - About 30 minutes east of Athens, there is a covered bridge you can still drive on today.
Back in the 1800s, Georgia had more than 200 covered bridges. Now, there are less than 20 of them.
Watson Mill Bridge has survived nearly 140 years.
It crosses the Broad River near Comer, Ga. It’s called Watson Mill because there used to be a mill there. Today, it’s part of a state park centered around it.
“It’s one of the smaller parks in the state of Georgia for sure, but in my opinion, it’s one of the best,” said Park Manager Jackson Mower.
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Mower is new to the job. He started less than a month ago. But, he’s not new to the park.
He came here many times as a student at the University of Georgia.
“I just really love this area, and it feels like home to me,” he said.
It’s like home for people all around this area.
“They grew up around this bridge, and swam here around this bridge,” said Mower.
About 50 years ago, a state park was created to preserve it, after the old mill and power plant closed down.
How did the bridge get here in the first place?
In the late 1800s, covered bridges were a popular style to help protect the wood from the elements.
Washington King, the son of famous bridge builder Horace King, built it in 1885.
“He actually assembled all of the pieces of it, cut all the pieces of it, and had it brought here and assembled on site,” said Mower. “If you look at some of the boards that are in here today, a lot of the latticework on the inside is original.”
The bridge is still in good shape. You can actually drive on it while enjoying the park built around it.
The park also has trails for walking, hiking, and biking, and 14 miles worth of trails designed for horseback riding. There’s a playground, and the area below the dam is popular as a swimming spot in the summertime or a place to take pictures.
“This place is absolutely beautiful, absolutely wonderful, and I want to continue seeing it grow, and just become everything I know it can be,” said Mower.
If you want to visit the park, they’re open every day except for Christmas. You just have to pay $5 for parking.
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