About this trip idea

Allow 2-3 days.

Are you thinking winding roads, pastoral settings, local food, relaxing and rejuvenating? Then the covered bridges of Parke County are your next getaway.

Parke County a destination 12 months a year
Whatever season you visit Parke County , be sure to take the driving tour of the 30 covered bridges – listed on the National Register of Historic Places – in nine communities. When you’re at the Mansfield bridge, stop in the Historic Mansfield Roller Mill to see it in operation. Across from the Roseville bridge, grab a bite to eat at the Rock Run Café & Bakery   in Rosedale. Once owned by Tex Terry, a Parke County native who was the bad guy of old b-western movies, it’s known for its pizza straight from the brick oven, tenderloins and bbq ribs.

Parke County offers great festivals year round, with the highlight being the 10-day Covered Bridge Festival each October. Visitors come from all over the country to see the beautiful autumn foliage and shop for food, art, crafts, antiques and treasures galore in each charming community. Love the allure – and taste – of morels? Try to find the biggest mushroom during the Mansfield Village Mushroom Festival in April. Taste the goodness of real maple syrup during the Parke County Maple Syrup Fair in February and March. Watch the action during the Civil War reenactment in Rockville’s turn-of-the-century Billie Creek Village in June.

And in any season, see what small-town treasures you can find in the studios and antique stores. There are also countless ways to take home the harvest from the fertile countryside. Visit Sandlady’s Gourd Farm in Tangier for seeds, gourds and art made from gourds. In the fall, pick your pumpkin and get lost in a corn maze at Hobson’s Farm . During festivals pick up jellies, canned and baked goods, and seasonal produce.

Hungry? Just 40 miles north of Rockville is Covington’s The Beef House , where steaks are cooked to order on an open-hearth charcoal broiler, the salad bar is bountiful and the hot rolls are truly worth the drive!

Relax and rejuvenate country style
Nearby Putnam County also has a driving tour of its nine covered bridges. Explore the countryside and small town of Greencastle, home to DePauw University. Then, finish your day at The Inn at DePauw in one of 54 rooms with modern conveniences and relaxed country charm. Enjoy dining in one of the Inn’s restaurants: The Fluttering Duck Bar & Grill or 2 West Bistro.

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