Cottage Grove, OR

Cottage Grove is a Lane County city on the Coast Fork Willamette River, south of Eugene. It is known for covered bridges, including the only surviving covered railroad bridge west of the Mississippi, and for festivals like Bohemia Mining Days and the Western Oregon Exposition Heritage Fair. The town has timber, mining, rail, and river history layered into a compact valley setting. Cottage Grove feels outdoorsy and slightly old-fashioned, with murals, bridges, foothills, and I-5 close but not overpowering.