One of many beautiful gifts in the Methow Valley are pristine rivers with public access. The upper valley river winds through a flat-bottomed valley, narrowing into the lower valley where the river rushes through steep canyon walls to join the mighty Columbia. Ten bridges crisscross the river from Carlton to Pateros. On hot, smoky days, the lower valley provides many views of the river and public access points for refreshing recreation.
Peninsula Park at the mouth of the Methow River in Pateros has a sandy beach, restrooms, playground, and picnic shelters. It is a quiet area to spend the day swimming with kids, or kayaking to explore the surrounding wetland habitat.
Across the bridge from the park is the Rest Awhile Fruit Stand with delicious pies. Nearby is William Stafford’s final public arts project. In 1993 the U.S. Forest Service commissioned the poet to write seven poems to accompany interpretive signs along the Methow River. The first installation of that project, “Time for Serenity, Anyone?” is located at the public access river spot across from the fruit stand.
Ten bridges cross the Methow River in the lower valley, while some remnants of bridges destroyed by floods rest below.
Stafford’s poem is a lyrical reminder of reciprocal living, “A sharp reminder hits me: this world still is alive; / it stretches out there shivering toward its own / creation, and I’m part of it. Even my breathing / enters into the elaborate give-and-take.”
This poetic reminder of the meaning of life is hidden behind a dumpster — interpret what you must.
Three miles upriver is the Irv Conner Methow River Access Site at the First Bridge. Irv was instrumental in the creation of the Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement Board to support sustainable fishing practices. The first public fishing access point created by the program was this 6.5-acre site within view of cliffs where indigenous Methow people built fishing platforms to access deep pools below the cliff face.
The second bridge across the Methow River is featured on www.HistoricBridges.org. This bridge built in 1950 is a “rivet-connected polygonal Warren through truss.” Below the bridge lay the remnants of an earlier bridge destroyed by the 1948 flood. Other pieces of destroyed bridges decorate lower valley yards and driveways — a constant reminder of the destructive force of nature.
The third bridge is the French Creek turn-off towards Lightning Pine RV Park. The riverfront park hosts full RV hook-up sites, bathrooms, and campsites with picnic tables. Lightning Pine is dog- and horse-friendly, and offers shuttle service for river rafting and tubing. Call (509) 720-7187 for reservations.
The fifth bridge is home to the McFarland Creek public access site with an interpretive sign placed years before the Carlton Complex fires — it illustrates the landscape as it appeared covered by trees. Next to the illustration is the second installment of Stafford’s project, “From the Wild People,” a reminder that landscapes change: “…They say there was a time when / rocks liked to dance… Now and then one stirs when nobody / is looking; then it stops and looks away / humming a little tune.”
The seventh and eighth bridges bookend Gold Creek Loop Road, and intersect Stokes Road — a quiet place to ride or walk along the river.
As we continue moving on upriver, the final bridge in the lower valley marks a popular destination for locals — the legendary Carlton Swimming Hole, “the Mediterranean of the Methow.”
