Built in the mid 1800s, the Zumbrota Bridge is Minnesota's last historic covered bridge. Erected over the Zumbro River in 1869, the 116 foot wooden bridge continued service for over 60 years. Not always a covered bridge, the roof and siding where added to protect the costly timbers a few years after initial construction.
   After service the historic bridge was moved and spent the next 65 years at the Zumbrota fairgrounds. In 1997, the bridge was again moved to Zumbrota's Covered Bridge Park. Nearby the river crossing where the bridge was first built, the structure became one of the main attractions at the 85 acre park. During the summer the Covered Bridge Music and Arts Festival celebrates this historic treasure. A yearly event, the festival offers activities for the entire family, and is traditionally topped off with a fireworks display.
   Not only does the park feature the restored bridge, but offers updated camping facilities, swimming pool, picnic shelters and access to the Goodhue Pioneer Regional Trail. Here in southeastern Minnesota the trail system passes through a varied mix of terrain. Hikers may see a tallgrass prairie, maple and basswood forests, and a unique oak savannah. North and south sections feature paved trails that double as snowmobile tracks in the winter. Bald eagles, which nest along the Mississippi River, often thrill Covered Bridge Park visitors.

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