Cottage Grove Travel Guide

2 more images

We will go to the largest covered bridge found in the Cottage Grove area next. The Dorena Bridge was built in 1949 for $16,547 - Miller Sorenson supervised the construction as Lane County foreman. The bridge was built after the Dorena Dam was built in 1946 and the reservoir filled behind it the next year. You find the bridge just upstream from the lake. In 1974, a new concrete span was built along the old covered bridge replacing it. Special State funds were used in 1996 to reconstruct the bridge at which time the louvered gothic windows were added along the sides, like what is found on the Goodpasture Bridge over the McKenzie River. The bridge serves as a wayside park now and you can still drive across it - to a second small parking lot on the east side of the bridge. Most visitors come on warm summer days to enjoy the river below with an interesting canyon upriver and a nice beach downstream.

3 more images

I lead off with this bridge since it is the only one still in active use today. This bridge is the oldest covered bridge in Lane County having been built in 1920 at a cost of $4125 by the Sorenson brothers - Walter and Miller; these lads played a role in the other bridges here around Cottage Grove, as well. Similar to many other Lane County covered bridges, there are semi-circular portal arches, ribbon openings at the roofline and board-and-batten siding. There was an old steam excursion train that used to chug between here and Cottage Grove - the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern - but the train - the Goose - was sold to the skunk Line in Yreka, California in 1987. The rail bed has been made into a bicycle/hiking path and the trailhead is just to the west of the bridge.

3 more images

This was the second covered bridge to cross the Row River at this spot - the first being built in 1883. Dating to 1925 - $4.025; $2,000 less than the lowest bid being built under the supervision of the Sorenson brothers - the bridge features a unique color scheme with white-painted portals and red sides. The bridge was bypassed by the concrete structure on the east side in 1974. Rehabilitated in 1993-95, the bridge re-opened to pedestrians though the north end is lacking an approach - is it still a bridge?

A neighbor's pug vociferously objected to the mtncorg's presence, but he Queen gave it a never-you-mind. It was the second pug encountered at a covered bridge on this day of bridge touring - maybe a trend?