Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
West Hill Bridge
The West Hill Bridge is located on a secluded road on West Hill in Montgomery. It has also been known as the Creamery Bridge and the Crystal Springs Bridge.
Back in the day, this area of Montgomery was very active, with many family farms and mills. Sheldon and Savannah Jewett, builders of this bridge and many others in the area, had their sawmill here on West Hill. Located at the northern side of the bridge is the remains of the creamery that gave the bridge one of its aliases. Under the bridge is a falls and natural pool which is popular for swimmers who reportedly sometimes hang out au naturel due to the seclusion of the area. On the day I was there, a couple was enjoying the day with a picnic lunch and reading a book on the rocks.
Current Status: Open (closed in winter)
Location: Montgomery, on Creamery Bridge Road
Crosses: West Hill Brook
GPS: 44.867664N, 72.64795W
Built: 1883 Length: 58.5 feet
Truss Design: Town lattice
WGN*: VT-06-09 NRHP**: Yes
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
Once the bustle of the area died out, the road that the bridge serviced was rendered unneeded and essentially abandoned, along with the bridge itself. In 1994 it was in such poor shape that it was closed to all traffic and nature reclaimed the road on either side of the bridge. In 2009 the Town lattice bridge was rescued and given a full restoration before being reopened. The road received some improvements, but is still not much more than a one lane track. The secluded swimming hole unfortunately also draws vandals who have taken to covering the inside of the bridge with graffiti.
Visiting the bridge:
Two roads traverse up West Hill from Route 118 in Montgomery very near the Comstock Bridge. Both start within yards of each other, on either side of West Brook. West Hill Road goes up the west side of the brook, Hill West Road goes up the east side. Both are eventually connected by Creamery Bridge Road. If coming by car, either road is fine, but Creamery Bridge Road from the Hill West end is not maintained in the winter.
If coming by motorcycle, you have a decision. For one thing, both West Hill and Hill West roads are dirt, and you will be traveling it quite a ways before getting to the bridge. From the West Hill Road end, Creamery Bridge Road is pretty decent for a dirt road, as it has residences on it. That is until you get to the bridge.
Just before the bridge, the condition of the road takes a marked turn for the worse, makes a sharp turn and then dives downhill to the bridge. The road here (when I visited) was not in great shape at all. If coming from this direction, you can park at a pull off just before the sharp curve. In total, you'll be traveling about 3.5 miles on dirt. One perk if you are really into covered bridges is that there are a few non-authentic pedestrian covered bridges in people's yards on this road as well.
If coming up Hill West Road, the distance traveled on dirt is shorter (by about a mile) but Creamery Bridge Road coming from this direction is not maintained as well. There are no residences on this road, so it is little more than a track in the woods. A track made up of loose stones and gravel. As I reported with the Hutchins Bridge, I had my feet down and occasionally dragging to make sure I didn't go over.
Just before the bridge, the road goes down hill fairly steeply and makes a sharp turn into the bridge. On this side of the bridge there is also a place to park. This is the side where the creamery was, and there is also a trail down to a open area where you can picnic with a nice view of the bridge above. Where you park matters little as the only people who use the bridge (essentially) are bathers, tourists and graffiti "artists".