Kennedy Covered Bridge: The Perfect Chester County Backroad Motorcycle Ride

You know that feeling where you want to ride but you just cannot figure out where to go? Yeah. That is what this whole series is about. I grabbed the 2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP not long ago and pointed it toward Chester County for a quick run out to Kennedy Covered Bridge, and honestly, it was just one of those rides. Short, fun, scenic, and there is actually something worth seeing at the end of it. Come along.

Welcome to Backroad Adventures

This is the first post in what I am calling the Mini Backroad Adventures Series. The idea is pretty straightforward. Pennsylvania is loaded with cool stuff. Old bridges, one-lane roads, historic landmarks that most people have never heard of, and a whole lot of great riding in between. The problem for a lot of us is that we never go because we never plan. We think about it, hem and haw, and then the afternoon disappears.

So that is what this series is for. Short rides to interesting places, mostly right here in Pennsylvania, with enough detail that you can actually go do it yourself. No 300-mile day trips required. Just grab your helmet and get on the bike.

A Quick Stop at Kennedy Covered Bridge

Kennedy Covered Bridge is tucked away in Chester County, not far from Phoenixville and Spring City if you are trying to place it on a map. It carries the official designation of bridge number HT105.

The bridge was built in 1856 by Lex Kennedy and Jesse King. Let that one sink in for a second. 1856. It got a full rehabilitation in 1978, and then had to be rebuilt again after a fire took it out in 1986. The county brought it back, which tells you something about how much people around here care about preserving this stuff. Good on them.

When I pulled up, there were roosters crowing from somewhere nearby, cars rolling through the bridge at a pretty regular clip, and that general peaceful chaos you find at spots like this on a nice day. I had to do a little dance to get the MT-09 positioned for a decent photo without getting run over, but that is half the fun.

Why I Keep Chasing Covered Bridges

Covered bridges are kind of my thing. I have visited a bunch of them over the years and I still cannot fully put into words why I find them so cool. Part of it is that they are old. Real old. Structures that have been standing through floods and fires and a hundred and fifty years of Pennsylvania winters just have a certain presence to them.

But the other part is location. Covered bridges are almost always sitting on the good roads. The lazy, winding, nobody-in-a-hurry kind of back roads that you forget exist until you are on them. You ride out, you stretch your legs, you hear some birds, maybe a duck splashing in the water, and you just kind of reset. It is low-key one of the best things you can do on a bike around here.

Chester County is great for this. The roads out that way wind through horse farms and old stone buildings and open countryside that does not feel like it belongs anywhere near the suburbs. The ride to Kennedy Covered Bridge has some really nice sweeping sections, and if you go early enough on a weekend morning, you will have most of it to yourself.

Pennsylvania Has More Covered Bridges Than You Think

Here is something worth knowing if you are just getting into this: Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than any other state. We are talking approximately 209. Chester County alone has a cluster of them in this part of the county, with at least two others within easy striking distance of Kennedy.

That means if you want to build a longer loop, you absolutely can. String two or three bridges together, throw in a good diner stop somewhere in the middle, and you have got a solid half-day ride without ever touching a highway. Future posts in this series will start mapping some of those routes out, so stay tuned.

Planning Your Visit

A heads up: Kennedy Covered Bridge is not some forgotten backroad secret. People use it, and when I was there the traffic was pretty steady. If you want a clean photo op with your bike, just be patient and stay aware of what is coming through. There is room to pull off and enjoy it without getting in the way.

GPS is your friend out here. Chester County back roads can be a little tricky to navigate on feel alone, especially if you are not from the area. Drop the bridge name in your GPS before you leave the house and you will be fine.

And do yourself a favor: go hungry. There are some good spots to eat in the Phoenixville area that make for a natural end to the ride. I recommend Liberty Union in Kimberton (a few minutes away and they give you complimentary tater-tots – who doesn’t love that?)

Just Go Ride

That is really the whole message here. There is a ton of great stuff in Pennsylvania within an hour of wherever you are sitting right now, and Kennedy Covered Bridge in Chester County is a perfect example. You do not need a big plan or a free weekend. You just need to pick a direction and go.

If you want to see the full ride, the video is right up top. Watch it, get inspired, and then go make your own little adventure.

And if you want to catch the next installment of Mini Backroad Adventures, hit that subscribe button over on the WaltInPA YouTube channel. New rides, new roads, and a lot more Pennsylvania history coming your way.