Bridge to No where

[DeltaDelta]

We're looking for a place thats called Bridge to nowhere, we're told it's up by timothy lake but have had no luck finding it at all. It's a bridge that goes over the river and directly into a cliff, as if no one ever finished making it.

Anyone ever been there?? please help we really want to see this as everyone keeps telling us about how they used to go but haven't been in a while.

Thank you!!

[Billc]

I have not been there but remember reading about it on the trail advocates site. Here it is.

"You’re right, it is deep boonies out there. It looks like it hasn’t been logged for a long, long time, if ever. I was told that the FS at one time had plans to get into that area and cut the timber. They built the bridge over the East Fork of the Collawash and were getting ready to punch roads into the area south of Elk Lake Creek, but were stopped by the wilderness designation. And that’s the reason that there is that “bridge to nowhere” out there at the confluence of the East Fork and Elk Lake Creek. I don’t know if that story is true or not, but it is the best explanation that I’ve heard for that bridge being there. "

This was posted in a thread about the Janus Butte trail in Oct '07. With road 63 closed it will not be easy to get out there.

Bill

[mattisnotfrench]

Perhaps the Bridge to Nowhere is just the high bridge over the Collowash just before the Elk Lake Creek trailhead? That would make sense. Is there another bridge closeby?

[Swede]

The "bridge to nowhere" on the East Fork of the Collawash is about a 1/4 mile upstream of the 6380 bridge which leads to the Elk Lake Creek trailhead. Instead of crossing the river on Rd 6380, continue straight ahead and follow a track road into the trees, past a couple of campsites, and you'll come to the bridge. There are some photos here http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/5518 ... /FullAlbum

It's currently about a two-hour drive from Estacada because the main access via Rd 63 is washed out, requiring a long detour.

This isn't anywhere close to Timothy Lake. Do you suppose that there is another bridge like this out there somewhere?

[DeltaDelta]

The "bridge to nowhere" on the East Fork of the Collawash is about a 1/4 mile upstream of the 6380 bridge which leads to the Elk Lake Creek trailhead. Instead of crossing the river on Rd 6380, continue straight ahead and follow a track road into the trees, past a couple of campsites, and you'll come to the bridge. There are some photos here http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/5518 ... /FullAlbum

It's currently about a two-hour drive from Estacada because the main access via Rd 63 is washed out, requiring a long detour.

This isn't anywhere close to Timothy Lake. Do you suppose that there is another bridge like this out there somewhere?

This is definatly the one we are looking for based off the pictures. I must have just had the location mixed around in my head. Where is 63 washed out beacuse we have been up there recently and haven't seen where it is washed out. Could it have been fixed by now?

DO you have more exact directions coming off of hwy 224? We're gonna go on an adventure to see if we can get to it! This should be fun!

[Swede]

Road 63 is washed out somewhere past the bridge that crosses Hot Springs Fork, near Little Fan Creek Campground. About a mile or so beyond the turnoff to Bagby Hot Springs. As far as I know, it has not been fixed, and is not likely to be fixed this year. I was told by a roads maintenance guy that it is a major road failure which will cost big bucks to repair, which the Ranger District does not have at the moment.

So to get to the "bridge to nowhere" take 224 from Estacada past the Ripplebrook Ranger Station to FR 46. Continue on FR 46 to FR 4670 (approximately 39 miles from Estacada). Turn right, follow 4670 to its junction with 6350 at Graham Pass. Turn right on 6350, continue to junction with FR 63. Turn left and follow 63, which eventually becomes 6380, until you reach a bridge crossing the Collowash. Instead of turning right and crossing the bridge, go straight on a rough track road for about 1/4 mile to the "bridge to nowhere" on the right at a large campsite.

[RobFromRedland]

Thanks for the directions to the bridge.....The directions were PERFECT! And it is just as the pictures showed, but it was cool to see in person.

I went backpacking to Twin Lakes with my daughter, and we thought we would check out this bridge on the way home. If road 63 hadn't been closed it would have been pretty close. The detour was about 40 miles and took over an hour. It was REALLY interesting to see, however.

The one thing I don't understand (besides having a bridge going nowhere) is why is there a similar bridge that was constructed at the same time (both have 1964 on them) only 1/4 mile downstream? Is it really necessary to have two bridges so close together?

P.S. - The note about it being a 2 hour trip from Estacada is pretty much right on. If you have a heavier foot, it could be a little less, but it is a lot of windy, narrow gravel roads. The detour from road 63 is about 40 miles one way.

[DeltaDelta]

Thanks for the directions to the bridge.....The directions were PERFECT! And it is just as the pictures showed, but it was cool to see in person.

I went backpacking to Twin Lakes with my daughter, and we thought we would check out this bridge on the way home. If road 63 hadn't been closed it would have been pretty close. The detour was about 40 miles and took over an hour. It was REALLY interesting to see, however.

The one thing I don't understand (besides having a bridge going nowhere) is why is there a similar bridge that was constructed at the same time (both have 1964 on them) only 1/4 mile downstream? Is it really necessary to have two bridges so close together?

P.S. - The note about it being a 2 hour trip from Estacada is pretty much right on. If you have a heavier foot, it could be a little less, but it is a lot of windy, narrow gravel roads. The detour from road 63 is about 40 miles one way.

are you saying there are two bridges to nowhere a 1/4 mile apart? lol

[Swede]

The one thing I don't understand (besides having a bridge going nowhere) is why is there a similar bridge that was constructed at the same time (both have 1964 on them) only 1/4 mile downstream? Is it really necessary to have two bridges so close together?

The reason there are two bridges is because there were two rivers to cross. The 6380 bridge crosses the mainstem Collawash River in a westerly direction, while the bridge to nowhere crosses the East Fork Collawash (just before its confluence with Elk Lake Creek) in a southerly direction. There's an aerial photo here: http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T ... =12429&W=1

Logging did occur on the west side of the Collawash as you can see in the aerial, but no logging was done on the south side of the East Fork because of the impending wilderness designation (or so I was told). Supposedly the Forest Service was trying to get the timber out of the Elk Lake Creek drainage before it was declared a wilderness, but political maneuvering stopped the logging before it began. I wish I knew the whole story, but haven't been able to find out very much. I've talked to people in the FS, but of course there is no one there now who was around in 1964.

[RobFromRedland]

Silly me, I should have looked at the map closer.....That makes sense.

I'd still love to know if that is the real story or not. It is most definitely a curiosity!

Thanks for all the info!