The last one standing
Twenty-three covered bridges once spanned the Wabash River. Today, exactly one remains — and it's right here in Adams County, a short scenic drive from downtown Berne. The Ceylon Covered Bridge (historically known as the Baker Bridge) was built in 1879 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio, a roughly 130-foot Howe through-truss span resting on cut-stone abutments. In 2007 it earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places.
A survivor's story
The bridge has outlasted nearly everything thrown at it. Buggies and cars rumbled through it daily for almost a century. Efforts to demolish it in 1948 and 1953 were fought off by the community. It was repaired in 1963, closed to vehicle traffic in 1974 when the road was rerouted around it, and given a complete restoration in 2012 that returned it as close to original condition as possible. When record floodwaters rose on the Wabash in 2004, locals feared the old bridge would finally be lost — the river crested, and the bridge stood.
Visiting today
The bridge is the centerpiece of Limberlost County Park along CR 950 S, between Ceylon and Geneva, just south of Berne. It's open to pedestrians only, so you can walk through the timber trusses at your own pace, listen to the boards underfoot, and imagine the buggy traffic of 1879 — some things around here haven't changed as much as you'd think. It's free, quietly beautiful in every season, and one of the best photo stops in the county.
Make it a loop
The bridge pairs perfectly with a meal: drive down from Berne, walk the bridge, swing past Amishville through Amish farm country, then head back to town hungry for one of Berne's nine local eateries. Golden hour at the bridge followed by dinner downtown is about as good as an Adams County evening gets.