THE ROW RIVER TRAIL

This is a 14 mile trail from Cottage Grove to Culp Creek administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).    The trail follows much of the Row River and Dorena Reservoir.

It used to be the Oregon Pacific & Eastern rail line used to haul lumber and plywood from the big Bohemia mill that operated near the small community of Culp Creek, until it closed down in 1989-90.  The lumber cars were brought into the Southern Pacific rail yard in Cottage Grove where they were taken to the big yard in Eugene by Southern Pacific trains and disbursed from there.  

This old rail line was turned into a trail back in the 1990's.    From 1901 to the 1920's the line extended all the way into the Umpqua National Forest to take out logs in the Layng Creek watershed.     In 1926 the silent movie The General, with Buster Keaton was filmed on this rail line.    Two other movies were filmed here, including Emperor of the North in 1972 and Stand By Me in 1986.   From 1971 to 1988 an excursion steam train called the Blue Goose operated on the line, along with the train hauling lumber from the Bohemia mill.   

Yesterday, October 7th, I had my annual doctor visit at the Cottage Grove Peace Health clinic and afterwards walked the trail as Celia and I did many times when we lived in Cottage Grove from 2000 to 2006.   October 7th was our wedding anniversary.