The (New) Sturgeon Island Covered Bridge

The New Sturgeon Island Covered Bridge | C25-0032

We recently spent a few days up on Sturgeon Lake in northern Minnesota. On a clear and calm morning my daughter and I headed out on the lake in a tandem kayak. It had been awhile since I’d been out in a kayak of any kind, but I was determined to make a workout of it.

I suggested we head over to Sturgeon Island to check out the new bridge connecting the island to the “mainland.” The old covered bridge was removed a couple years prior when it did not pass inspection. It was replaced by a simple uncovered bridge; however local residents had vowed to cover it — a not inexpensive undertaking.

As we paddled down the lake toward the bridge, I had no idea the project to cover the bridge had already been completed. We pointed our kayak toward the new bridge and proceeded toward it, ducking out heads as we passed underneath.

I had written about the old bridge in a blog post on my old website. A resident of the island saw my post and contacted me to purchase a print — that was when I learned the old bridge had been replaced. The old bridge is on the left (below) and the new bridge is on the right, now a full two lanes wide.

Following the kayak trip around the island, I decided to head over there by car to get a closer look at the new bridge and get a few images. When I arrived, I decided the best vantage point just happened to be in the front yard of one of the houses adjacent to the bridge, so I knocked on the door to ask permission. I was met by the owner, who gave me the OK to set up my tripod — but before I did that, he insisted that I follow him out to his garage where he proudly showed me a gigantic picture of the old bridge inside. He also told me of the upcoming dedication of the new bridge at the end of the month.

The image at the top of this post is what I came away with, but I think I need to go back again, when the light is better, maybe in the fall or winter.