Colville Covered Bridge

Built in 1877 by Jacob Bower, this picturesque 124-foot covered bridge over Hinkston Creek is one of Kentucky's few remaining historic covered bridges. Its rural setting and age have made it the subject of numerous ghost stories.

The Colville Covered Bridge spans 124 feet across Hinkston Creek on Colville Pike, about four miles northwest of Millersburg in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Built in 1877 by Jacob Bower using a multiple king post truss design, the bridge served as a vital crossing for over a century before being dismantled in 1997 due to deterioration. It was totally rebuilt and reopened to traffic in 2001, but those who know the bridge's legends say that whatever lingers inside the old timbers was not so easily removed.

The most widely told ghost story involves a pair of teenagers who died on prom night. According to local legend, the young couple was driving through the bridge when their car veered off the road and plunged into Hinkston Creek below. The tragedy left an imprint that drivers still encounter decades later: when crossing the bridge at night, some report seeing headlights appear suddenly in their rearview mirror, gaining on them as if another car is approaching at speed. But just as the phantom vehicle should reach them, the lights disappear — as if the ghostly car has veered off into the water once again, replaying its fatal plunge for eternity.

A separate legend involves Sarah Mitchell, who according to local accounts died on or near the bridge sometime in the 1930s under circumstances that remain unclear. Her spirit is said to linger within the bridge's enclosed structure, and visitors have reported hearing the sounds of a woman crying for help amidst coughing and sobbing — a deeply unsettling auditory experience in a structure where sound echoes and amplifies in the enclosed wooden tunnel. There are also stories of a man who hanged himself from the bridge's rafters, his body discovered swinging in the shadows. Local accounts of hangings and decapitations at the bridge have circulated for generations, adding layers of dread to the already atmospheric crossing.

Strange shadows are a constant feature of nighttime visits. The bridge's enclosed design creates deep darkness even on moonlit nights, and visitors report seeing shapes that seem to move within the structure — forms that cannot be explained by any natural light source. Perhaps most unnerving is a phenomenon where lights suddenly shine up through the floorboards from below, as if coming from the headlights of a submerged car in the creek — headlights that should not exist and have no earthly source.

The Bluegrass Ghost Chasers, a regional paranormal investigation team, conducted a formal investigation of the bridge, bringing voice recorders, electromagnetic field meters, temperature sensors, and even a teddy bear equipped with a voice box designed to respond to invisible touches. Lead investigator Larry Conley and his team collected evidence throughout the night. When they played back their voice recorders, they reported capturing an unfamiliar laugh — a sound that did not belong to any member of the team and had no apparent source.

The Colville Covered Bridge is one of only thirteen covered bridges remaining in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It remains open to vehicle traffic, and visitors are welcome to walk through its 124-foot span. Those who do so after dark should be prepared for the possibility that they will not be alone inside.