List of covered bridges in Oregon facts for kids
Oregon is home to many beautiful and historic covered bridges! These special bridges are like tunnels made of wood, protecting the bridge structure inside from rain and weather. This helps them last a very long time.
Most of Oregon's covered bridges were built a long time ago, between 1905 and 1925. Imagine how many there once were! At one point, there were about 450 covered bridges across the state. Today, there are still 51 of these amazing structures left. That's a lot, especially since Oregon has more covered bridges than any other state west of the Mississippi River! Lane County alone has more covered bridges than any other county in the western United States.
Oregon's Cool Covered Bridges
Let's explore some of these unique bridges and what makes them special!
Benton County Bridges
The Harris Bridge in Wren was built in 1929 and crosses the Marys River. It's a historic landmark!
The Hayden Bridge near Alsea was built in 1918. It spans the Alsea River and is also listed as a historic place.
The Irish Bend Bridge in Corvallis was built in 1954. It crosses Oak Creek and is another historic treasure.
Coos County Bridges
The Sandy Creek Bridge in Remote was built in 1921. It's a special one because it's a footbridge, meaning it's only for people walking!
Deschutes County Bridges
The Rock O' the Range Bridge in Bend was built in 1963. It's the only covered bridge east of the Cascade Mountains! It crosses the Swalley Canal and is open for everyone to see, even though it's privately owned.
Douglas County Bridges
The Cavitt Creek Bridge near Peel was built in 1943. It has a unique design with raw log supports and a special portal shape to let log trucks pass through.
The Horse Creek Bridge was originally built in 1930. It was moved and rebuilt in 1990 and is now a lovely footbridge in a city park in Myrtle Creek.
The Milo Academy Bridge in Milo was built in 1962. It's a modern covered bridge with a steel structure and a wooden cover, replacing an older wooden bridge.
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The Neal Lane Bridge in Myrtle Creek was built in 1939 for only $1,000! It's one of the shortest covered bridges in Oregon.
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The Pass Creek Bridge near Drain was built in 1925. It was closed in 1981 and then rebuilt nearby in 1989, so it's still standing strong!
The Rochester Bridge west of Sutherlin was built in 1933. It has a very unusual design with eight side windows that have curved tops, making it quite special.
Jackson County Bridges
The Antelope Creek Bridge in Eagle Point was built in 1922. It was restored in 2012, showing how much people care about these old bridges.
The Lost Creek Bridge in Lake Creek was built in 1919. It's a historic landmark that crosses Lost Creek.
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The McKee Bridge in Ruch was built in 1917. It has cool features like "flying buttresses" and open windows at the roofline. It's been restored many times to keep it safe.
The Wimer Bridge in Wimer was rebuilt in 2008 after it collapsed in 2003. This shows how important these bridges are to the community!
Josephine County Bridges
The Grave Creek Bridge in Sunny Valley was built in 1920. It's Oregon's most viewed covered bridge because it's close to I-5. It's also the only covered bridge left in Josephine County.
Lane County Bridges
Lane County has the most covered bridges west of the Mississippi River! Here are a few:
The Belknap Bridge in Rainbow was built in 1966. It's actually the fourth bridge to be built at this spot over the McKenzie River!
The Centennial Bridge in Cottage Grove was built in 1987. It's special because it was made using wood from two other old bridges that were taken down. It's now used by bikes and people walking.
The Chambers Railroad Bridge in Cottage Grove was built in 1925. It's Oregon's only remaining covered bridge that was used for trains!
The Coyote Creek Bridge in Crow was built in 1922. It's a historic landmark crossing Coyote Creek.
The Currin Bridge in Cottage Grove was built in 1925. It crosses the Row River and is a historic site.
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The Deadwood Creek Bridge in Swisshome was built in 1932. It was renovated in 1986 and has a floor that's banked for turning traffic.
The Dorena Bridge in Dorena was built in 1949. It's another historic bridge over the Row River.
The Ernest Bridge in Marcola was built in 1938. It's a historic landmark, even though its name is sometimes spelled differently.
The Goodpasture Bridge in Vida was built in 1938 and is 165 feet long! It's a very important historic bridge over the McKenzie River.
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The Lake Creek (Nelson Mountain) Bridge in Greenleaf was built in 1925. It was updated in 1984 with a concrete floor.
The Lowell Bridge in Lowell was built in 1945. It replaced an even older bridge from 1907 and is a historic landmark.
The Mosby Creek Bridge in Cottage Grove was built in 1920. It was renovated in 2002 to keep it in good shape.
The Office Bridge in Westfir was built in 1944 and is 180 feet long! It crosses the North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River and is a historic landmark.
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The Parvin Bridge in Dexter was built in 1921. It's a historic landmark over Lost Creek.
The Pengra Bridge in Jasper was built in 1938. It's a historic bridge over Fall Creek.
The Stewart Bridge in Walden was built in 1930. It's a historic landmark over Mosby Creek.
The Unity Bridge in Lowell was built in 1936. It's a historic landmark over Fall Creek.
The Wendling Bridge in Wendling was built in 1938. It's a historic landmark over Mill Creek.
The Wildcat Creek Bridge in Walton was built in 1925. It's a historic landmark over Wildcat Creek.
Lincoln County Bridges
The Chitwood Bridge in Chitwood was built in 1926. It's a historic landmark over the Yaquina River.
The Drift Creek Bridge near Rose Lodge was built around 1914. Many people believe it's the oldest covered bridge in Oregon! It was moved and rebuilt on private property to save it.
The Fisher School Bridge in Fisher was built in 1919. It's also known as the Five Rivers Covered Bridge and is a historic landmark.
The North Fork Yachats Bridge near Yachats was built in 1938. It's a historic landmark over the North Fork Yachats River.
Linn County Bridges
The Crawfordsville Bridge in Crawfordsville was built in 1932. It's also known as the Calapooia River Bridge and is a historic landmark.
The Gilkey Bridge in Crabtree was built in 1939. It's a historic landmark over Thomas Creek.
The Hannah Bridge in Scio was built in 1936. It's named after John Joseph Hannah, an early settler in the area, and is a historic landmark.
The Hoffman Bridge in Crabtree was built in 1936. It's a historic landmark over Crabtree Creek.
The Larwood Bridge in Crabtree was built in 1939. It's a historic landmark located where the Roaring River meets Crabtree Creek.
The Shimanek Bridge in Scio was built in 1966. It's a historic landmark over Thomas Creek.
The Short Bridge in Cascadia was built in 1945. It was originally named Whiskey Butte Bridge but was later renamed for a local resident, Gordon Short. It's a historic landmark.
The Weddle Bridge in Sweet Home was built in 1937. It was moved and rebuilt in 1990 at the Cascade Forest Resource Center, so you can still visit it!
Marion County Bridges
The Gallon House Bridge was built in 1917. It's a historic landmark over Abiqua Creek.
The Jordan Bridge was originally built in 1937 in Linn County. It was moved in 1988 to a city park in Stayton, in Marion County, so more people could enjoy it.
Multnomah County Bridges
The Cedar Crossing Bridge in Portland was built in 1982. It's special because it's the only covered bridge in Multnomah County, which is Oregon's biggest county!
Polk County Bridges
The Ritner Creek Bridge in Pedee was built in 1927. It was the last covered bridge on a state highway in Oregon before it was removed from service in 1976. It's a historic landmark.
Keeping Bridges Safe
People work hard to keep these old bridges in good condition. In 2008, a special program gave money to help fix up seven covered bridges in Oregon. This money helped make sure these historic bridges can be enjoyed for many more years!
| Bridge | Grant Amount |
|---|---|
| Chambers Railroad Bridge | $1,315,370 |
| Chitwood Covered Bridge | $1,076,760 |
| N. Fk. Yachats River Covered Bridge | $596,704 |
| Gallon House Covered Bridge | $51,147 |
| Nelson Mountain Covered Bridge | $17,946 |
| Mosby Creek (Layng) Covered Bridge | $17,946 |
| Pengra Covered Bridge | $17,946 |
| Total | $3,093,819 |
Images for kids
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Chambers Bridge Howe truss
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Drift Creek Covered Bridge
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Office Bridge interior
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Rochester Bridge interior
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Weddle Bridge interior
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See also
- List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
- Lists of Oregon-related topics
