Just a few miles north of Helen, Georgia on the road to the Old Sautee Store, there is a roadside park featuring a beautiful covered bridge. The park itself is small with a gravel parking area and picnic table. It is the bridge that first attracts your attention because it seems out of place over a small creek, and was moved to it's current locationas a historical building. What is surprising when you walk through it is the use of heavy beams which make the structure appear as if it could be used today as a one lane bridge. Originally, horse and wagons would use it instead of automobiles.

The historical marker at the site reads:

Stoval Mill Covered Bridge

Fred Dover constructed a bridge and nearby grist, saw and shingle mill complex here in the early 1800s. The original bridge washed away in the early 1890s and Will Pardue replaced it in 1895 with the present 38-foot structrure. Dover sold the opertation to Fred Stoval, Sr. in 1917. The mill and dam washed away in 1964. Constructed as a modification of the queen post truss design, the bridge's trusses have two vertical posts (with iron rods) separated by a horizontal crosspiece. The bridge was featured in the movie, I's climb the Highest Mountain, staring Susan Heyward.

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The movie originally opened in 1951 and was directed by Henry King. Also appearing in the movie was William Lundigan, Rory Calhoun, Barbara Bates and Gene Lockhart. It is considered a period piece of the simpler times in 19th century North Georgia Mountains. The movie is still available today, and was done in Technicolor. It runs 88 minutes.

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