Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway
Elevation Chart
Turn-by-Turn Directions (show)
| Start east on Row River Trail (BLM) | 13.8 miles (22178 meters) |
| Continue north on Row River Rd | 0.5 miles (815 meters) |
| Turn right on Row River Trail/Row River Trail (BLM) | 2.8 miles (4573 meters) |
| Head southwest on Row River Trail/Row River Trail (BLM) | 4 miles (6420 meters) |
| Head northwest on Row River Trail/Row River Trail (BLM) | 0.7 miles (1190 meters) |
| Continue southeast on Row River Rd | 1 miles (1601 meters) |
| Turn right on Government Rd/Shoreview Dr | 0.6 miles (947 meters) |
| Head northwest on Government Rd/Shoreview Dr | 4.7 miles (7597 meters) |
| Continue west on Government Rd/Shoreview Dr | 0.2 miles (271 meters) |
| Continue west on Garoutte Rd | 2.5 miles (4018 meters) |
| Continue southeast on Mosby Creek Rd | 1.2 miles (1905 meters) |
| Turn left on Lang Rd/Layng Rd/Mosby Ranch Rd | 226 feet (69 meters) |
| Head southwest on Lang Rd/Layng Rd/Mosby Ranch Rd | 52 feet (16 meters) |
| Turn right onto Jenkins Rd | 112 feet (34 meters) |
| Turn left on Row River Trail (BLM) | 0.8 miles (1272 meters) |
| Continue west on Row River Trail (BLM) | 2.4 miles (3881 meters) |
| Turn right onto E Main St | 56 feet (17 meters) |
| Head south on S 10th St | 0.7 miles (1159 meters) |
| Continue west on E Taylor Ave | 0.3 miles (473 meters) |
| Turn right onto S 4th St | 0.2 miles (364 meters) |
| Continue west on E Harrison Ave | 0.3 miles (456 meters) |
| Head northeast on S River Rd | 0.6 miles (982 meters) |
The Covered Bridges Bikeway, which follows the Cottage Grove Covered Bridge Tour Route, features an all-ages and all-abilities cycling experience of bridges, Dorena Lake, and Cottage Grove’s historic downtown. Of particular interest for families, the Bikeway offers no-traffic riding along the Row River Trail, an off-street, paved path through diverse landscapes and over moderate terrain.
Photo by Greg Lee
From parking areas in downtown Cottage Grove at the Community Center or Bohemia Park, visitors can travel 17 miles of smoothly paved off-street path along the lake’s north side, passing three of the six covered bridges on the route. All three of these bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Dorena Bridge is a popular wedding site, for those visitors wanting a bit of romance in addition to scenery. Four bathroom stops, seven parking areas, and three picnic areas along this part of the route provide many rest opportunities and a chance to get off the bike and enjoy the scenery. A store in the modest community of Dorena provides snacks and refreshments.
Visitors comfortable riding on the shouldered roadway can ride the 17 miles back to Cottage Grove on the road, and view another covered bridge. Bicyclists wishing to bypass the Garoutte Road hill can return to the bike path at the western end of the lake. Two campgrounds and one bathroom stop provide recreational and rest opportunities.
Photo by Jim Moore
Within Cottage Grove, visitors share low-speed Main Street with cars through the National Register-listed Downtown Commercial Historic District. A number of coffee and ice cream spots, restaurants, pubs, shops, and a bike shop face Main Street and offer refreshment or services. At the western end of downtown, the Bikeway includes views of two more covered bridges and a footbridge. Of note is the Chambers Bridge, the only covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi also listed on the National Register.
Download a turn-by-turn cue sheet for this route: Covered Bridges SB Cue Sheet
Download a detailed map of the overall route: Covered Bridges Map
Download an inset map of the start/finish in Cottage Grove: Cottage Grove Inset Map
Order a free copy of the Oregon Scenic Bikeway map, which details the nine official Oregon Scenic Bikeways as of August 2012.
Comments
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Great ride! Great directions! We skipped the first part that goes downtown. Watch out for the dog on Shoreview Dr. right after Dorena Bridge. He does not like bicyclists!
Posted by carpenterchix on May 6th, 2012 -
If taking the road option back to the trailhead, how safe are the roads for bicyclists? (i.e. bike lanes, low traffic, wide shoulder, etc?) Thanks!
Posted by happymontyrides on March 6th, 2013
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It’s fairly low-traffic, but no bike lane, and not much shoulder to speak of. If vehicle traffic makes you nervous, definitely take the trail, because the few cars you do encounter may be going pretty fast. But if traffic doesn’t bother you, it’s a pleasant country road. Taking the road does add some climbing, though.
Posted by Jim Moore on March 7th, 2013
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Thanks, stayed on the trail. Gorgeous views nonetheless.
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It would be great if there were a “like this” button so we could share it on our Facebook pages. Great trail and great job on this site! I like the turn-by-turn directions option.
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