Coyote Creek Covered Bridge

Coyote Creek Covered Bridge - Oregon

Located southwest of Eugene in Lane County, Oregon is the Coyote Creek Covered Bridge. The bridge is found south of Veneta, Oregon just a stone's throw away from the West Side Old Territorial Road, which was an old stage road that had its beginnings in the 19th Century between the Willamette Valley and California. Alternatively, the Coyote Creek Covered Bridge is referred to as the Battle Creek Bridge because it is located on Battle Creek Road. Another name for the bridge is the Swing Log Bridge, as this was an old name for the bridge.

The Coyote Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1922 and renovated in 2003. Built using a Howe covered truss design, the bridge is 60 feet long and was part of the Territorial Highway until it was bypassed. Among the design elements found on this bridge include housed buttresses, ribbon openings under the eves, and rectangular portals. Heavy snowfall severely damaged the bridge in 1969 as the weight of about three feet of snow collapsed the bridge's roof. The rafters were then sawed off and the bridge was left uncovered until Lane County could repair it the following spring. The Coyote Creek Covered was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979.

I had the chance to visit the Coyote Creek Covered Bridge on a quiet spring morning. It's in an agricultural area where the bridge fits seamlessly into its surroundings, and is certainly worth the detour to visit.

Inside the covered bridge

The bridge only fits one lane of traffic, so one could easily see why a bypass was built around the bridge.

Admiring the covered bridge.

I found some rusting old farm equipment at a farm near the covered bridge.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Travel Oregon - Coyote Creek Bridge
Eugene Cascades & Coast - Coyote Creek Covered Bridge
The Historical Marker Database - The West Side Old Territorial Road
Yesterday's Trails - CV031: Coyote Creek near Crow, OR – 1968
My South Lane - Coyote Creek Covered Bridge

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