50 HIKES IN THE TILLAMOOK AND CLATSOP STATE FORESTS
50 HIKES IN THE TILLAMOOK AND CLATSOP STATE FORESTS Sierra Club Oregon Chapter Ooligan Press Portland, Oregon
WILDCAT MOUNTAIN This hike, which provides sweeping views of the Willamette Valley, sticks to gravel forest roads that are generally well maintained and easy to follow, with a few steep sections.
1 Suggested Maps 2012 Northwest Oregon Protection District Map
Difficulty
Trailhead Coordinates
Moderate
45.667983, −123.291733
Distance
Elevation
9.8 miles round-trip
1,300 feet
GETTING THERE From Portland, drive west on US-26, then veer left on OR-6 toward Tillamook. Just past milepost 39, turn right onto Timber Road. Drive 1.8 miles to an unmarked road on the right with a yellow gate. Park on the left side of the road and take care not to block the gate. To begin your hike, pass through the yellow gate. On the right side of the road you will see a large sign letting you know you are on Wildcat Road. In about 0.1 miles you will come to a bridge over a small creek. The main road stays obvious until you reach 1.07 miles. Here you will pass under power lines, and the road splits. Take the road to
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the right and cross a wooden bridge over another small creek. Ignore the road that splits off to the right shortly after the bridge and continue on the main road. If you are doing the hike in early summer, there will be a variety of flowers blooming alongside the road, including goatsbeard, foxglove, daisies, Douglas Spirea, and salmonberry. Around 3 miles into your hike there is a fork in the road. Take the sharp left to stay on Wildcat Road. Hopefully you’ve saved some energy, because here the road inclines more steeply. The road levels out again at 3.3 miles. To your left is an old road with a large berm blocking it; ignore this and stay on the main road. The next mile of the hike is a pleasant series of slight inclines and declines. At about 4.3 miles, take a sharp left, leaving Wildcat Road for a much rougher and steeper road that has recently been cleared. You will reach the end of the road and a large clearing at 4.8 miles. Here you can climb a berm at the top of a quarry for an impressive view of the Willamette Valley and the small community of Buxton. Photo courtesy of T. J. Carter
GALES CREEK A tranquil hike along a tributary of the Tualatin River. This hike features lush second-growth forest after the original Tillamook Burn.
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Difficulty
Trailhead Coordinates
Moderate to strenuous
45.64231, -123.35926
Distance
Elevation
Up to 13.6 miles round-trip
About 2,000 feet elevation gain
Suggested Maps Wild Salmon Center and Outdoor Project Wilson River Map
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Photo courtesy of Riley Pittenger
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Follow the trail through a lushly vegetated ravine. At about 0.5 miles, look for a lone old-growth Douglas-fir (probably 200 to 300 years old) on the right side of trail. Other vegetation may include alder, red huckleberry, thimbleberry,
Wilson River
GETTING THERE From Portland, drive west on US-26, then OR-6, toward Tillamook. At milepost 35, turn right at the sign for Gales Creek Campground and drive about a mile to the day use area. The campground is open May through October, and there is no fee for day use. Park in the lot and look for the trailhead to the left of the bridge. There should be a sign nearby that displays a map.
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Wilson River
vine maple, sword fern, Oregon grape, oxalises, and—in the spring—trilliums. Wildlife is abundant in the canyon— watch for birds such as chickadees and woodpeckers, small mammals such as raccoons, and elk. At 0.75 miles, cross a wooden footbridge. After the bridge, turn right at a fork in the trail. As of this 2018 release, theThe trail to the left goes only a short distance, but eventually it will continues south as part of a new trail system. From the fork, you can walk the main creek trail as far as 5.9 miles north to Bell Camp Road almost 7.0 miles to the north. The path continues alongside or above Gales Creek at varying distances from the stream, occasionally crossing it via wooden and log bridges. In a few places, you must step across on rocks and may get your feet wet. As you hike, watch for small waterfalls, rapids, and logjams. At times, the creek even flows belowground at times. Look for trout in pools that form where the stream submerges or emerges from the ground. Turn around when you reach Bell Camp Road at about 6.8 miles—or at any point along the way if you want a shorter hike. Evidence of the original Tillamook Burn is still visible from the Gales Creek trail. Today, although the charred snags of the old trees are historically interesting, the main appeal of this hike is the beauty of the lush second-growth forest and the creek that runs through it. Gales Creek Canyon is testimony to the ability of this temperate rainforest to renew itself, given the chance—and the vision of 46
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Photo courtesy of Riley Pittenger
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the many Oregonians who planted millions of trees in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s The Gales Creek trail is one segment of a system of interconnected trails with Gales Creek Campground as the hub. The northern segment extends the trail for about 4 miles from Bell Camp Road to Reehers Camp on Cochran Road (with another trailhead at Cochran Bridge) in the Nehalem drainage, 2 miles west of the town of Timber. The southern segment adds another 3 miles of trail. It veers left from the Gales Creek trail at the fork and crosses Storey Burn Road (about 1 mile) to Graham Bridge west of the summit on OR-6. At the bridge, it connects with the Historic Hiking Trail to University Falls south of the highway.
GALES CREEK SUMMIT A lush hiking and biking trail that follows the West Fork of Gales Creek from Wilson River Highway summit to Gales Creek Campground.
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Difficulty
Trailhead Coordinates
Easy
45.64231, -123.35926
Distance
Elevation
3.4 miles round-trip
About 700 feet gain on the return
Suggested Maps ODF Tillamook State Forest Trail Guide: Gales Creek Trail; Wild Salmon Center and Outdoor Project Wilson River Map
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Gales Creek Campground has a day use area that’s a good place for a picnic. To return to the trailhead, simply retrace your steps.
Photo courtesy of Riley Pittenger 50 Hikes in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests | 49
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Look for the trailhead on the right (north) side of the highway. Follow the well-developed trail to Gales Creek Campground 1.7 miles away. Along the way, you’ll pass by steep slopes on the side of the creek opposite the trail. This trail is near the site of a logging camp where the first of the series of Tillamook Burn fires started in 1933. Now you’ll see lush second growth including Douglas-fir, alder, cottonwood, vine maple, ferns, thimbleberry bushes, and much more. Elk frequent the area, as do hawks and owls. The creek is a great place to cool off during warm weather.
Wilson River
GETTING THERE From Portland, drive west on US-26, then OR-6, toward Tillamook. Park in the parking area at the OR-6 summit at milepost 33.