The White Bridge in the Autumn Woods

The postcard image is usually a red covered bridge, but Vermont has its share of white ones too, and there's a particular magic to a classic white span tucked deep in the autumn woods, glowing against the blaze of turning leaves.

The color, like the roof itself, often had practical roots — a coat of paint to protect and preserve the wood — but the effect is striking. Set among the reds and golds of a Vermont October, a white bridge stands out with a clean, almost ghostly elegance, and photographers seek these quieter spans out precisely because they differ from the expected red.

Reaching them is part of the pleasure. Many of Vermont's most beautiful covered bridges sit at the end of dirt roads, far from the main routes, requiring a bit of a hunt to find. That effort thins the crowds and rewards the patient traveler with a moment of near-solitude at a genuinely lovely place. The white bridge in the woods asks you to slow down and go looking — and pays you back with one of the most serene scenes the season has to offer.