Ritner Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ritner Creek |
|
|---|---|
Ritner Creek Bridge interior in 2011
|
|
 Location of the mouth of Ritner Creek in Oregon
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Polk |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Central Oregon Coast Range near Bald Mountain 1,292 ft (394 m) 44°46′27″N 123°32′29″W / 44.77417°N 123.54139°W |
| River mouth | Luckiamute River south of Pedee 279 ft (85 m) 44°43′43″N 123°26′36″W / 44.72861°N 123.44333°W |
Ritner Creek is a small stream in Polk County, Oregon, USA. It is a tributary of the Luckiamute River. The creek starts near Bald Mountain in the Central Oregon Coast Range. It flows mostly southeast.
Ritner Creek joins the Luckiamute River southwest of Pedee. This meeting point is about 31 miles (50 km) upstream from where the Luckiamute River flows into the Willamette River. Several smaller streams, like Sheythe, Love, Clayton, and Kinsey creeks, flow into Ritner Creek.
Ritner Creek flows under Oregon Route 223. A famous covered bridge used to cross the creek here. It was called the Ritner Creek Bridge. This bridge was 75 feet (23 meters) long. It carried the highway until 1976. It was the last covered bridge on an Oregon state highway. Today, a concrete bridge has replaced it.
Contents
How Ritner Creek Got Its Name
The creek is named after Sebastian Ritner. He was an early settler who moved to Oregon in 1845. Part of his land, given to him under the Donation Land Claim Act, was along the creek.
There was also a train station named Ritner. It was part of the Valley and Siletz Railroad. This station was about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Kings Valley.
Fun Places to Visit
You can visit two parks along Ritner Creek. They are great for outdoor fun!
Minnie Ritner Ruiter Wayside
The old Ritner Creek Bridge was saved! It was moved to a nearby spot. This spot is now a small county park called Minnie Ritner Ruiter Wayside. The park has picnic tables. It also has a portable restroom. It is open every day during daylight hours.
Ritner Creek Park
Further upstream, along Gage Road, is another park called Ritner Creek Park. This park has fire pits for campfires. It also has picnic tables and walking trails. There is a restroom available. This park is open all year. You can visit from sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
