EUGENE & WILLAMETTE VALLEY FROM LEFT; TURELL GROUP; THOMAS MOSER COTTAGE GROVE Located at the south end of the Willamette Valley between the Coast and the Cascade mountain range, the cozy community of Cottage Grove is best known as the Covered Bridge Capital of the West. A driving tour along the 20-mile (32-km) Cottage Grove Covered Bridge Tour Route passes six of the region’s 20 covered bridges. Bike enthusiasts pedal the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway for a total of 36 miles (58 km). At the center of Cottage Grove, Bohemia Park is a 14-acre (5.7-ha) multiuse park with an amphitheater that seats 2,000, a walking trail, a 3-acre (1.2ha) pond and a playground. Downtown Main Street is the place to enjoy comfort food at Jack Sprats Restaurant and fresh fare at the Cottage Grove Public Centennial Covered Bridge Market. A self-guided tour of downtown illuminates nearly two dozen vibrant murals, including one of the mysterious Opal Whiteley, a former Cottage Grove resident who, in the early 1900s, published a best-selling diary. The Cottage Theatre delights year-round with plays and musicals, and most nights you can catch live music at Coast Fork Brewing and Feed Store. For more history, visit the Bohemia Gold Mining Museum and the Oregon Aviation Historical Society & Museum, which exhibits several vintage aircraft. About 29 miles (46.7 km) southeast of Cottage Grove in the Umpqua National Forest, follow short trails to several waterfalls. Travel Lane County | EugeneCascadesCoast.org | 541.484.5307 45
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==