Skip to main content

Oregon State Route 38

Image
By



Following the Umpqua River for the clear majority of its travels as a highway, Oregon State Route 38 connects US 101 at Reedsport, Oregon with communities such as Elkton and Drain, and eventually I-5 along its 56.5 mile journey. The Umpqua River Scenic Byway joins OR 38 from Reedsport to Elkton, then parting ways with OR 138 as it makes its way to Roseburg. OR 38 makes its way through lush forests, riverside vistas and even an elk refuge. I tend to find OR 38 as one of the faster and straighter highways that I've taken between I-5 and the Oregon Coast, as I find that there's a mixed bag as far as the state routes are concerned in terms of how the roads were engineered through the Coast Ranges. The following photos are from a collection of photographs I took during a trip in September 2009 after spending the day visiting the Oregon Coast from Newport to Coos Bay, visiting Cape Perpetua and the Oregon Dunes on the way.

OR 38 is part of the Umpqua River Scenic Byway from Reedsport to Elkton, then the scenic byway follows OR 138 to Roseburg.

One of many wood carvings that can be found around Reedsport. Founded in 1919, the town of Reedsport is considered to be the gateway to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, which is the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America.

One of two swing bridges that cross the Umpqua River in Reedsport. This bridge is for a railroad line.

In the distance is the Umpqua River Bridge on US 101. One of many Conde McCullough designed bridges that can be found around Oregon, this bridge over the Umpqua River was built in 1936.

Looking upstream at the Umpqua River from the harbor in Reedsport. The Umpqua River is the largest river between the Columbia River to the north and the Sacramento River to the south.

Totem pole carving at the Umpqua Discovery Center in Reedsport.

I thought that this building in Reedsport was pretty neat. Then it was time to hit the road again.

Heading east on OR 38 just east of Reedsport. The Umpqua River is to our left and lush forests are all around.

But to our right is the O.H. Hinsdale Interpretive Center and the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. There is a herd of Roosevelt elk that makes its home here year-round.



Crossing the Dean Creek at its confluence with the Umpqua River.

More Umpqua River to your left.

This is a part of the drive which I find to be quite scenic and peaceful.


A cliff to the right of the eastbound lane.

Scottsburg Bridge over the Umpqua River, built in 1929. This bridge will soon be replaced with a wider bridge over the river. The replacement bridge is expected to open in 2022.

Scottsburg, Oregon, about 20 miles upstream from the Pacific Ocean along the Umpqua River.

Back to the open road, with a passing lane thrown in for good measure.

Probably cows grazing instead of elk this time.

I just like how the two tall evergreen trees are framing the road in this shot.

An old barn is in view as we continue east towards the next town.


Entering Elkton.

OR 38 intersects with OR 138, which heads to Roseburg and Crater Lake. The Umpqua River also parts ways with OR 38 in Elkton.

But we soldier on, heading eastbound towards Drain.


OR 38 crosses the Elk Creek here.

An approaching tunnel through the hill is a nice surprise.

After crossing the tunnel, a mix of trees and pasture land surrounds the highway.


Watch out for road hazards!

In 1997, the stretch of OR 38 between Drain and Reedsport was designated the "Jason Boe Corridor". Jason Boe was an optomerist from Reedsport who also served in the Oregon State Senate.

Entering Drain, named for its first mayor and has a burgeoning timber industry.

OR 99 joins OR 38 in Drain, although you wouldn't know it from the above sign. The two highways run concurrently from Drain to I-5 in Anlauf.

A wigwam burner can be found to the right of the highway. Wigwam burners, also known as tepee burner or beehive burner, are steel structures used in logging mills to dispose of waste wood and sawdust. Wigwam burners were once commonplace at lumber mills in throughout the Pacific Northwest, but have since been outlawed. Once numbering in the thousands, only a few wigwam burners remain.

Signage for the concurrency of OR 38 and OR 99 was inconsistent in 2009. A recent check of Google Street View showed OR 38 shields predominately.

OR 38 follows the historic route of the Applegate Trail here. The Applegate Trail was a southern alternative to the Oregon Trail, starting in Rickreall in Polk County, Oregon, then working its way south through southern Oregon, northern California and into Nevada to meet up with the California Trail.


Last time I checked, OR 99 was a north-south route, plus no mention of OR 38.

OR 38 ends at I-5. Continue on I-5 north to go to Cottage Grove, Eugene, Salem and Portland.


Sources and Links:
Mile by Mile - Oregon State # 38 Highway Guide
Travel Oregon - Umpqua River Scenic Byway
The Bandon Guide - How to Get Here
Labels:

Comments

Unknown said…
I once was eastbound in an empty tanker truck. Just outside of Drain, I was involved in a head-on collision with a green Camaro. The car was cut into 3 parts, and the driver did not survive. Is that section of the highway named after him??
6:14 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The case to move Interstate 73 in Southern Ohio onto US 33

By
Every decade or so, Ohio pushes to revisit the proposed Interstate 73 that would connect Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It's been happening since Congress legislated the route in 1991.  Within Ohio, Interstate 73 generally follows the US 23 corridor from Portsmouth through Columbus to Toledo, and into Michigan. Since High Priority Corridor Five was created , Ohio has really done nothing to move forward with Interstate 73.  Sure, there have been feasibility studies here and there.  But actual dollars and construction just haven't occurred. The US 33 Nelsonville Bypass appears to have been built to Interstate standards. However, Ohio has been slowly upgrading US 33 to a full freeway through Southeastern Ohio.  Bypasses of Lancaster and Nelsonville opened in 2004 and 2013, respectively.  Other sections of two-lane road are being twinned, some to freeway or, at a minimum, to expressway standards.  Currently, a $274 million widening project in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Local Sign Find - The last remnant of Business Interstate 95 between Kenly and Rocky Mount , NC

By
As you head north on Interstate 95 at Exit 107 for Kenly and US 301, you'll notice something odd about the overhead sign for the exit.  Peeling off the sign for all that can see is the word 'NORTH' off-center from the US 301.  This old sign (probably close to original from when this section of I-95 opened - more on that in a little bit) gives a hint to a short-lived Business Interstate Route that ran from here to Rocky Mount. The last hint of the Kenly-Wilson-Rocky Mount Business I-95 (Shaun White - August 2020) Interstate 95 in North Carolina has a unique history.  But one of the overlooked and forgotten pieces of Interstate 95 in North Carolina is the 38 mile section between Kenly and Rocky Mount.  When opened to traffic in late 1978, it was the next to last piece of Interstate 95 in North Carolina to open replacing a four lane US 301 from Battleboro through Rocky Mount and Wilson to eventually tying back into the Interstate in Kenly. Though it was not delayed in l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nostalgia fast food with style - Returning to Rax

By
Nostalgia. It sells. It evokes, and more accurately, warps memories of days gone by.  Things were better, simpler, and we eat it up. Nostalgia can make you drive three hours and over a hundred miles out of your way just to reconnect with a dying fast-food restaurant you last enjoyed in the early to mid-90s.  That person was me - that restaurant was Rax. I could go on about Rax's history, but in short, Rax was briefly a very popular roast beef fast-food chain.  Growing up in the 80s and early 90s in Western PA, Rax was the good fast-food spot.  The milkshakes.  (Personally, the chocolate chip milkshake was heaven.)  Uncle Alligator Kids Meal with the chocolate chip cookie. Take that McDonald's Happy Meal!  The fancy salad and hot foods bar.  Going to Rax was special.  Like so many similar restaurants, various investments, management decisions, etc., led Rax to almost disappear overnight.  By the time I graduated college in late 1999, abou...
Post a Comment
Read more