Heads up to all you hikers and nature lovers out there! The Bridge Creek Wildlife Area is undergoing a bit of a facelift, and that means changes to how you'll be wandering those wild paths for the short term. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has slapped a temporary road closure on vehicular access while they spruce up the road and bridge. But fear not, this isn't an all-out ban on soaking up that natural splendor - it's a foot-traffic-only affair beyond the closed gate for now.
While heavy equipment chews up the old and lays down the new, visitors are kindly reminded by ODFW to keep their cars clear of the work - that means parking off the road and not hunkering down in front of that gate. I mean, it's just common courtesy, right? In the announcement given to myodfw.com, they've made it clear that walk-in access is still A-OK, so lace up those hiking boots and enjoy the trek.
Even though the deer might not be paying much attention, human visitors should keep their eyes peeled for potential hazards. ODFW is putting out the vibe to be cautious around the construction hubbub. Getting up close and personal with heavy machinery is nobody’s idea of a wilderness retreat.
And for all the deer-stalkers out there, this maintenance gig isn't going to cut into your hunting season prep. ODFW is gunning to have everything wrapped up in about a month, which should have the road open for business before rifle deer season kicks off come October. They shared on myodfw.com, "ODFW anticipates the work will take about one month and plans to reopen the road before the start of rifle deer season in October."
