The Long Way
Douglas County
A river flows through a lush green forest.
Plate I. Umpqua River, Umpqua River Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com

Umpqua River Scenic Byway

Sutherlin, Douglas County, Oregon. Scenic byway; Year-round.

Details

Map. Sutherlin, Douglas County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Sutherlin, Douglas County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
Starts/ends in Oakland / Sutherlin; follow Hwy 38 to 138 West (Elkton) to the Coast / Reedsport (66 miles).
Website
traveloregon.com
Managed by
Travel Oregon.
Established
2008.

A 66-mile/106-kilometer drive through historic timber towns, wine country, fishing hot spots and fur-trading posts, twisting through the Coast Range on its way to the Pacific.

Notable Events

  1. 1851Most of the fort burned in November 1851; a few HBC men remained until 1853, when the Company leased the land to American settlers. oregonencyclopedia.org
  2. 2008The Umpqua River Scenic Byway was approved after a community effort with financial assistance from Sutherlin, Elkton, Oakland Economic Development, the Port of Umpqua, and two chambers of commerce. visittheoregoncoast.com
  3. 2009The Elkton Community Education Center completed a replica of Fort Umpqua on the east bank of the Umpqua River on Highway 38, open to the public with living history exhibits. oregonencyclopedia.org
  4. After a seven-year process, the 66-mile stretch from Oakland to Reedsport was officially named the first and only scenic byway running from Interstate 5 to the coast's Highway 101. visittheoregoncoast.com

People

  • George Emmons, U.S. Navy lieutenant who drew a plan of Fort Umpqua in 1841 (1841).
  • Jean Baptiste Gagnier, French Canadian who located Fort Umpqua and served as its post master for much of its existence.
  • Michel Laframboise, HBC fur trader who led the annual Southern-party brigades.
  • Bette Keehley, Oakland mayor who joined the byway effort.
  • Tom Llewellyn, Byway chairman who led the seven-year designation effort.

Sources

  1. traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/the-umpqua-river
  2. nsbfoundation.com/sb/umpqua-scenic-byway
  3. umpqua.edu/about/our-campus/douglas-county
  4. visittheoregoncoast.com/press/trip-from-oakland-to-reedsport-now-a-scenic-byway
  5. facebook.com/UmpquaRiverScenicByway
  6. tripcheck.com/Pages/Scenic-Byways
  7. visittheoregoncoast.com/press/trip-from-oakland-to-reedsport-now-a-scenic-byway
  8. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/fort_umpqua
  9. elktonbutterflies.com/fort-umpqua