The American Bridge and Building Company of San Francisco completed the bridge in 1886, though Butte County did not officially accept it until January 3, 1887. Originally known as the Carr Hill Bridge, the structure crossed Butte Creek along the road connecting Chico to Paradise. George Miller served as Superintendent of Construction, overseeing what would become an engineering anomaly. The bridge featured three spans of timber Pratt trusses, a design that would prove so rare that by the 21st century, no other example survived anywhere in the nation. The original construction left the timbers exposed to the elements, a vulnerability addressed in 1901 when workers sheathed the structure in protective coverings, giving it the classic covered bridge silhouette.

The bridge earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1988, recognized not merely for its age but for its uniqueness. The three-span timber Pratt-type design had vanished everywhere else in America, making this modest crossing over Butte Creek an irreplaceable piece of engineering history. The Historic American Engineering Record documented the bridge's construction details, preserving the knowledge of how 19th-century craftsmen solved the challenge of spanning a mountain creek with nothing but wood, iron, and ingenuity. Midway between Chico and Paradise on Honey Run Road at Centerville Road, the bridge served both as a functioning crossing and a pilgrimage site for covered bridge enthusiasts.

The Camp Fire ignited on November 8, 2018, and within hours became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Driven by fierce winds through the dry Sierra foothills, the fire consumed the town of Paradise and everything in its path. The Honey Run Covered Bridge stood directly in the fire's course. Flames engulfed the wooden structure, and by the time the fire moved on, 132 years of history had been reduced to charcoal and twisted metal. The loss resonated beyond Butte County, for with the bridge went the last surviving example of its kind.

Local residents began planning the bridge's restoration almost immediately after the fire passed. The Honey Run Covered Bridge Association took the lead, and in 2020, the organization assumed full ownership of the bridge site and the right-of-way over Butte Creek. Construction began in 2022, guided by HAER documentation and a determination to honor the original design. Workers raised new timbers, fitted Pratt trusses, and gradually restored the distinctive three-span profile. The rebuilt bridge opened with a grand ceremony on June 1, 2025, with full public access beginning July 1, 2025. A new caretaker cottage and restored county park completed the resurrection.

The restored Honey Run Covered Bridge retains the original construction methods and appearance, with only safety upgrades distinguishing new from old. Traditional pancake breakfasts have returned to the bridge, continuing a community tradition that predates the fire. For residents of Butte County, a region that has endured the Camp Fire, the North Complex Fire, and the Dixie Fire in quick succession, the bridge represents something larger than timber and iron. It stands as proof that what fire destroys, determination can rebuild, one span at a time.