Exploring the Beauty of the Swinging Bridge in Selma, Oregon.

The easiest way to experience the Illinois River as it approaches the Kalmiopsis Wilderness is to drive the Illinois River Road a dozen miles west of Selma. Along half of that distance, the road is near enough to the river to have a string of designated recreation sites managed by the Rogue-River Siskiyou National Forest.

These are small recreation sites, with four, six, eight, and three campsites at Six Mile, River Bench, Store Gulch, and Echo Beach. There are also picnic areas, trailheads for hiking, and even a designated "divers hole." Most river users arrive in summer when it is hot, and the river is running slow. Lounging or jumping in a wild river is not much better in Oregon than in Illinois.

The river runs from the southeast, across the Coast Range in a northwestern direction to its confluence with the Rogue River near the community of Agness. The Wild Section of the river flows through steep canyons for nearly 29 miles between the confluence of Briggs Creek and Nancy Creek. It has 150 rapids, 11 of which are Class IV and one of which has a most challenging rating of Class V. A great place to come if you are an experienced kayaker. If you wish to try your luck with the rapids, come in the spring when the water level is higher and more robust. Don't forget the lifejacket and helmet.

Even if you are not looking to camp or spend the day away by a beautiful stream, there is a worthy destination in this section of Illinois. That is Swinging Bridge, one of two bridges like it in the national forests of Oregon. The other is the Drift Creek Suspension Bridge near Lincoln City in the Siuslaw National Forest. I will talk about Drift Creek in another blog post.

To find Swinging Bridge, drive Illinois River Road 12 miles west of Selma to where the pavement ends. Take the left fork down to the river in less than a mile. The park was designated for walking across the bridge, built in 1960 to give high-water access to a Boy Scout camp across the river. The road bridge nearby gets flooded in spring, and Boy Scout parents did not like it when their scouts were trapped and could not come home. Because of this flooding, the original trail to Swinging Bridge has been washed out. Here is a picture of the original trail.

You can drive a little further down the road to a very small parking area. This will bring you to the end of the original trail and the entrance to Swinging Bridge from above.

The Swinging Bridge on the Illinois River is a popular spot for scuba diving. The water is really deep here, making it an actual swimming hole. Be careful because the water is deep on the south side of the bridge, but it appears pretty shallow on the north side. There are a few ways to access the water, but I recommend having a high-clearance vehicle and a 4-wheel drive to get to the Swinging Bridge. The road is in pretty bad shape and has a lousy washboard effect along with massive holes and dips to get through…. not to mention it is a steep dirt road that you don’t want to go too slow on, or else you’ll probably get stuck!

The swimming at Swinging Bridge is great. You can walk up to the swimming hole from the lower parking lot on the left-hand side of Illinois Road. You can also hike to the swinging bridge from this location, which will bring you to a lower section of the bridge. This is the other side of the bridge in this picture.

**As of July 2023, the actual bridge at Swinging Bridge is closed due to hazardous conditions. So, you’ll need to drive to the lower parking lot to swim here. 

Things to consider if you come here:

• 4-wheel drive, high clearance recommended.

• In the sun, even after 5:30 in July.

• It's Free.

• Long, steep walk to the river.

• Busy, so get here early.

• Proper swimming hole with jumping rocks.

• Big parking area at the bottom landing, with a much shorter walk to the water.

• There are few parking spots at the bridge.

• There is a big parking area at the top landing, and it is a longer walk to the river—mainly in the sun! 

• Bring plenty of water.

• Be careful because no medical facility is nearby if you get injured.

• Bring along food and enjoy the outdoors.

• There are also limited bathrooms available.

• Always let someone know where you are