McKenzie Bridge

We bought an old log cabin in the town of McKenzie Bridge (pop. 300) in June 2007. The cabin was built in 1931, and sits on a 3.28 acre property comprised of a meadow, forest, and seasonal creek (we think). To the north of the property is a gorgeous, undeveloped 7 acre plot that we tried to buy, but were unsuccessful. Fortunately, our new neighbors are wonderful people and have no plans for a McMansion or worse, subdividing. To the north of THEIR property is National Forest land.

Our cabin, nicknamed the Unibomber cabin or McKenzie Hideout, depending upon your perspective, has a gorgeous view of Lookout Mountain and its ridge. The sunrise is worth getting up early on a weekend, for certain.

There is so much to do in the McKenzie River valley; all of it outside. The McKenzie River itself is gorgeous, clean, with several levels of calm to whitewater. All kinds of water activities are available, from boating to fishing to rafting to just sticking your feet in the water. There are natural hot springs abound - I will later post some links. Two waterfalls are within 15 miles -- Sahalie and Koosah, and Clear Lake (28 miles away) is 200 ft deep, caribbean-blue, and clear to the bottom!

The McKenzie River Trail is a world-class mountainbiking and hiking trail. 90% singletrack, and is a great way to explore the waterfalls, lava flows, and log bridges. Yes, it's only 25 miles long, but even professional mountainbikers should expect the trip to last several hours. And it ends just 2 miles from our cabin!

There are two stores within a few miles of the cabin. Both are the ONLY stores within 30 miles in either direction! McKenzie Bridge General Store is within walking distance of the cabin, and they have a surprisingly variety of beer in their walk-in cooler (bring ID, no matter your age). Harbick's Country Store is a few miles to the west, and it has most of the basic amenities one needs. Next to Harbick's is a restaurant with a lovely patio and excellent breakfast -- Takoda's. Here is a list of some restaurants along the river: http://www.diningoutnorthwest.com/McKenzie_River.html