Drift Creek Bridge, covered bridge in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States

Drift Creek Bridge is a wooden covered structure spanning Bear Creek with a Howe truss framework and board-and-batten siding throughout. The passage features arched portals at both ends and ribbon windows under the eaves that allow light inside and let visitors observe the timber frame details.

This bridge was built in 1914 and originally served as a key traffic route along the Oregon coast until newer roads redirected travel in the 1960s. The change left it at risk, setting the stage for community-led restoration efforts decades later.

The bridge stands on private land near Rose Lodge, where Laura and Kerry Sweitz rebuilt it in 2000 and granted a permanent public easement so visitors can reach it. It is a monument to 19th-century pioneers, as Lincoln County intended when it kept the span as a pedestrian crossing in the 1960s.

The best way to reach it is to drive north from Lincoln City on Highway 101, then east on Highway 18 to Bear Creek Road. The route is straightforward through rural terrain with clear signage leading you right to the parking area.

Before it was dismantled, the bridge stood about 1.5 miles from the Pacific and was the closest covered bridge to the Oregon coast. The county gave the timbers to Laura and Kerry Sweitz, who rebuilt it 8 miles north over Bear Creek, a Salmon River tributary near Rose Lodge.