Wildcat Creek Covered Bridge

The Wildcat Creek Bridge crosses Wildcat Creek near the small unincorporated community of Walton, in the rolling forested hills of western Lane County along the route between Eugene and the Oregon Coast. Built in 1925, the 75-foot Howe truss span is one of the older covered bridges in the county's collection, serving a sparsely populated rural area historically tied to logging and small-scale farming. Its remote setting, well off the more heavily touristed Cottage Grove and McKenzie River bridge clusters, has kept the Wildcat Creek Bridge one of the lesser-known and less-visited spans in Lane County, appealing mainly to dedicated covered bridge enthusiasts and travelers exploring the back roads of the Coast Range foothills. Constructed with the region's typical weatherboard siding and shingled gable roof to protect the wooden truss from heavy coastal rainfall, the bridge has required periodic maintenance over its nearly century-long service life. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979, the Wildcat Creek Bridge remains open to vehicle traffic today.