Park Information
HISTORIC SITE TEMPORARILY CLOSED DEC. 24, 2024, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:
Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site will be temporarily closed starting Dec. 24, 2024, to prepare for the bridge's relocation to Pershing State Park. Locust Creek Covered Bridge currently spans a dry creek bed and is in danger of being damaged beyond repair if actions are not taken due to the instability of the watershed. To preserve one of the last four remaining covered bridges in Missouri, the bridge will be moved to Pershing State Park and be placed over water once again. The move to Pershing State Park, located at 29277 Highway 130 in Laclede, Missouri, is scheduled for the end of January to the first of February, depending on the weather. For more information, contact Pershing State Park at 660-963-2299 or click here to read the news release.
Locust Creek Covered Bridge, built in 1868, became a link in one of the nation's earliest transcontinental roads. Today, it is the longest of Missouri's four remaining covered bridges, measuring 151 feet. The bridge was built out of white pine using the Howe-truss system, named for William Howe, who patented the design in 1840. The essential features of the design were its use of vertical iron rods to draw the diagonal wooden members tight against the top and bottom of the bridge. The bridge features arched entrances with ramps sloping away from both ends.
