Western Valley: Ritner Creek Covered Bridge

A beautiful and mildly challenging ride starts off at Main Street Park in Monmouth, right across from Veal Bikes Plus where you can get a quick tune up, stock up on energy bars, or rent a bike for the day if you’d like to try out a different set of wheels.

Heading out of town on Monmouth Highway, you encounter your biggest challenge of the ride at mile three: a 7 mile stretch that features a series of 6%-plus hills make for challenging climbs, with steep and long downhills offering exhilarating respites in between. If you want to prolong the joy, take a detour at Bridgeport Road to visit Falls City. There you’ll find the namesake waterfall and The Bread Board, home to a fantastic array of artisan breads and pastries cooking in a wood-fired stove.

After the hills, the hard part is over. Heading south on Kings Valley Highway takes you through the unincorporated community of Pedee, and on to the the feature of this ride, the Ritner Creek Covered Bridge. Built in 1927 at a cost of $6,964, the Ritner Creek Covered Bridge is one of fewer than 50 covered bridges still standing in Oregon. Moved off the highway in 1975 and restored in 2008, the bridge now serves as a roadside park.

Airlie Winery and Emerson Vineyards make a great place for a halfway break. Both offer wine tastings and amazing views; just bring your lunch for a perfect mid-day meditation. After your break, you’ll cross Highway 99W at a flashing-light intersection and continue on to Suver Road before turning north on Corvallis Road. Corvallis/Albany Road will bring you all the way into the heart of Independence, where you can watch the Willamette River flow at Riverview Park, enjoy a locally-sourced meal at the Three Legged Dog Public House, or even make this your overnight stop at the biking/boating campground or bike-friendly B Street Garden Cottage. From here, it’s a short 3-mile ride back to your starting point.