Things to Do in Cottage Grove, Oregon

This paved National Recreation Trail follows an abandoned rail line from downtown along the Row River. It then runs the north shore of Dorena Lake. The city puts it at more than 15 miles, with parking and restrooms every 2 to 3 miles. Stand by Me, Emperor of the North and The General were all filmed along this railway, and the trestle at Harms Park appears on screen.

★ Good to know It’s free and open dawn to dusk, but there’s no food or water on the trail; the general store in Dorena is the snack stop. Row rhymes with cow.

Oregon’s Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway is a 35.8-mile loop that starts at Trailhead Park at 10th and Main. It follows the Row River Trail past three National Register-listed covered bridges, then returns on a quiet country road with one short, very steep hill. Drivers can follow the 20-mile Covered Bridge Tour Route instead, which takes one to two hours.

★ Good to know To skip traffic and the steep hill, ride the trail as an out-and-back; parking and restrooms are in Bohemia Park across Main Street.

Lumberman J.H. Chambers built this bridge in 1925 to carry log trains across the Coast Fork Willamette River to his sawmill. It’s believed to be the only remaining covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi. The city bought it in 2006 and finished restoring it in 2011 as a walking and cycling crossing.

★ Good to know The in-town section of the bikeway rolls right through it, along with a ride over the Swinging Bridge footbridge.

Cottage Grove calls itself the Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon, with six covered bridges in or around town. Mosby Creek Bridge, a white bridge built in 1920, sits just off the Row River Trail. Currin, Dorena and Stewart are National Register-listed as well, and Centennial Bridge downtown is a replica built from salvaged bridge timbers.

★ Good to know Spring is a good time to go, when the native prairie at Row Point near the trail puts on its wildflower show.

Downtown Cottage Grove is a National Register-listed historic district, and about 21 murals on its buildings tell the town’s history. One shows Buster Keaton riding the cowcatcher of the train, painted on the building where he stayed during filming. Main Street has coffee shops, pubs, restaurants and a bike shop.

★ Good to know The Animal House parade scene was filmed on Main Street, so it’s worth a look even if you only have an hour.

The museum is an octagonal former Catholic church built in 1897, with its original Povey Brothers stained-glass windows. It holds photographs from the filming of The General. The annex next door recreates a blacksmith shop, general store, kitchen and parlor. It also tells the story of Titanic survivor Marion Wright Woolcott, who lived here.

★ Good to know Open days vary by season, so check before you go.

Gold was found near Bohemia Mountain southeast of town in 1858, and the Bohemia Mining District became the most productive in the Western Cascades. This museum honors those miners with photographs, tools and ore samples. Many of the artifacts came from the collection of longtime miner Guy Leabo.

★ Good to know Pair it with Bohemia Mining Days, a Wild West-themed festival held the third weekend of July.

This volunteer-run community theater has staged plays and musicals since 1982, when it started under a parachute. Today it performs a year-round season in its own 150-seat house, built in 1998 and expanded in 2006. More than 10,000 people see a show here each year.

★ Good to know Check the season schedule before your trip and book ahead for musicals.