Gold Brook Covered Bridge (Emily's Bridge)

New England covered bridge famous for a local ghost story and spectacular autumn color

Gold Brook Covered Bridge, universally called Emily's Bridge in Stowe, is a beautifully preserved wooden covered bridge on Covered Bridge Road about a mile south of the village. Built in 1844 and still carrying traffic across Gold Brook, it is one of the most photographed bridges in New England — especially in October when the surrounding maples are at peak color. The bridge is short and entirely enclosed, with the characteristic amber light filtering through the wooden slats.

The drive out to the bridge passes through some of Stowe's prettiest farm country. Combine the visit with a walk along Gold Brook, which runs through a small gorge below the bridge, for a pleasant half-hour detour. The ghost story is firmly established local folklore and the bridge actively plays up to it — the parking area fills on autumn evenings with visitors hoping to witness something.

things to do sight
A story
According to local legend, a young woman named Emily was jilted on the night she was supposed to elope here. In despair she hanged herself from the bridge rafters. Whether or not Emily existed, the story has attached itself firmly enough that the bridge is better known by her name than its official one, and visitors sometimes report scratches on their cars parked nearby at night — attributed, naturally, to an angry ghost.