COVERED BRIDGES

Looking for something to do in Canyonville, Oregon? Kathe found that there are several covered bridges in this area, so thanks to Google Maps, they had something to do today besides go shopping! There are supposed to be 50 covered bridges remaining in the state of Oregon, so they were happy to find two within a few miles of Canyonville.

The Neal Lane Bridge or The South Myrtle Creek Bridge is one of the shortest covered bridges in Oregon. The wooden bridge is just 42 feet long and the narrow windows make it appear even shorter. Kathe and Jim drove over it in the jeep and noted that it is 12'3" high and can only accommodate a load of 3 tons. Better not try this in a motor home. The bridge was built sometime in the 1930's.

The Horse Creek Bridge was built in 1930 and is 105 feet long. You can no longer drive across this bridge but Kathe and Jim walked across it to the city park on the other side of the creek. This bridge was dissembled and moved here from Lane county in 1990. The original purpose of a covered bridge is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather.

There is a 30 mile loop in the area of Cottage Grove, Oregon where there are many more covered bridges, but those will have to wait until the next Oregon trip.