Natural Bridge Overlook – Union Creek OR

Description

The Union Creek Historic District on the upper Rogue River in Union Creek, Oregon, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places because it is a fine representative of a type of rustic resort popular in the early 20th century and has been little altered since the 1930s.  

There are almost one hundred buildings and other facilities in the Union Creek Historic District, almost all of which conform to the Forest Service plans of the 1920s and 30s.  Roughly a third were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from 1933 to 1942, working out of the Upper Rogue River seasonal camp just south of Union Creek Resort. 

In 1933-34, CCC enrollees built an overlook at the Natural Bridge site, where the Rogue River plunges into an ancient lava tube for about 100 yards.  The overlook is paved with flagstones and has a low stone wall of roughly fitted blocks of basalt.

The overlook was badly damaged in a flood in 1964 and repaired. Some of the paved walkway and wall to the overlook was never restored.

Some facilities at Union Creek, like the lodge, amphitheater and old stone fountain, look like CCC work but are not.  They were built by private actors with permission and plans from the Forest Service. NB: The Wikipedia entry on Union Creek is wrong in attributing everything at Union Creek to the CCC.