Stagecoach Horse Camp Open

Stagecoach Horse Camp has re-opened.

Visitors should be aware that there is still timber sale activity in the area including active log hauling on the roads surrounding Stagecoach.

Support Oregon's State Forests! Your gift has never been more important!

 

With a huge influx of state forest visitors seeking “virus-safe” outdoor activities, as well as the devastating wildfires on state forests this year, the value of your support has never been greater. 

Your tax-deductible gift to the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust helps us maintain and improve recreation facilities, educate youth and adults about the role of forests in our lives, and plan new ways of delivering programs about Oregon’s state forests. 

Thanks to a generous donation from Columbia Sportswear, donations made between December 1 and 15 will enter you into a drawing for one of 40 VIP passes to the Columbia Employee Store for significant discounts! 

Join a special community of people who love the forest by making your gift online today. https://www.tillamooktrust.org/year-end

Tillamook State Forest Re-opens to Public Use Friday, Sept. 18

 

Some state forests to re-open Friday, Sept. 18

The Tillamook and Clatsop state forests will re-open to the public on Friday, Sept. 18, along with smaller ODF parcels in northwest Oregon. This also includes ODF-managed lands in Columbia, Lincoln, Polk, and Benton counties. The public is urged to know before you go about potential restrictions on campfires, off-road vehicle use and other fire prevention measures in the midst of an unprecedented fire season in Oregon. Public Use Restrictions Map

The Gilchrist and Sun Pass state forests along with ODF-managed lands in Klamath, Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Douglas and Lane counties remain closed due to extreme fire danger.

The Santiam State Forest remains closed until further notice.

State Forest Closure Extended Through Wednesday, Sept. 16 - Fire Danger Level EXTREME

PUBLIC USE CLOSURE FOR ODF-MANAGED STATE FORESTS EXTENDED THROUGH WED., SEPT. 16

All Oregon Department of Forestry-managed forests are closed to public use through at least Wed, Sept. 16. Fire danger remains extreme, air quality is bad to hazardous, & last week’s wind storms caused downed trees on roads & other safety problems that need to be cleared. This covers the Tillamook, Clatsop, Gilchrist, Sun Pass & Santiam state forests as well as other smaller parcels managed by ODF in Lane, Douglas, Coos, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Polk, Lincoln, & Benton counties.

ODF appreciates the public's understanding.

STATE FOREST CLOSURES EXTENDED - FIRE DANGER LEVEL EXTREME - IFPL IV

 

Pike Road Fire FINAL Update - September 12, 2020

State Forests Closed To Public Entry: Fire Level EXTREME - IFPL IV

Fire Danger Levels on the Rise - Temporary Closures Going Into Effect

Effective Thursday, September 3, 2020 the Tillamook State Forest and surrounding Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands will enter a Fire Danger Level of HIGH and an Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) of 3.

OHV trails in the Browns Camp, Lyda Camp, Diamond Mill and Trask designated areas remain open.

Forest visitors can expect to see some new gates being installed in the Tillamook State Forest along the Highway 6 and Highway 26 corridors.  These are fire protection gates to facilitate temporary closure of specific geographic areas during periods of high and extreme fire danger in an effort to reduce the likelihood of human caused fires occurring in these areas.  The areas behind these gates will remain open to foot traffic and hunting activity. The gates will re-open when the fire danger drops back down to moderate.

As we are currently experiencing a weather pattern that will raise the fire danger and IFPL levels on Thursday, September 3, 2020, these gates will be closing over the next several days as described below.  

Here is more specific information about the gate locations:

The Tillamook State Forest management team is installing gates at several forest access points along the Highway 26 and Highway 6 corridors.  These gates will only be closed during active forest operations or during periods high and extreme fire danger conditions to reduce the potential for human caused wildfires on State Forests lands.

The gates on Highway 26 will be installed at the entrances to:

• ·         North Fork of Wolf Creek Road
• ·         McGregor Road
• ·         Music Road

The Highway 26 gates at these locations will be closed starting Friday, September 4, 2020 and will remain closed until the fire danger level drops back down to moderate.

The gates on Highway 6 will be installed at the entrances to:

• ·         Storeyburn Road
• ·         Drift Creek Road
• ·         Idiot Creek Road

The Highway 6 gates at these locations will likely remain open through the Labor Day weekend but may be closed sooner if there is a significant change in the fire danger or if the area experiences fire activity.

Both of these areas remain open to entry by foot traffic only and to hunting.

Temporary Road & Rock Pit Closures

The following closures are in effect due to forest operations and road improvements.

• Camp 5 Road between Salmonberry Road and the Wheeler Road / Section 10 Road junction will be closed starting Saturday, August 29, 2020 due to a rock crushing operation.  The road will remain closed to the public for the duration of the project work.

• The Camp 5 rock pit will be closed to the public starting Saturday, August 29, 2020 for a rock crushing operation.  The rock pit will remain closed to all public access for the duration of the project work.

Thanks for your help in keeping our employees and contractors safe by observing these closures!

Mushrooms & Wildlife Don't Care About Fashion

The arrival of autumn finds the Tillamook State Forest filled with the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of maples and alders donning their fall finery.  Autumn also brings out hundreds of visitors who engage in activities such as foraging for mushrooms or hunting for game that take them off of the beaten path into the brush.

If your recreation activities take you off of established roads, please consider the following safety tips:

Does someone know where you are?  If you head out to the woods, let someone know where you are going and when you plan on returning and don't deviate from your plans. That way, if there is an emergency that prevents you from returning home, you can be sure folks know where to start looking for you.

Safety orange is not just for game hunters.  High visibility clothing is your friend whether you are traveling on a designated trail, hunting for deer, fishing a remote stream or foraging for mushrooms.  It makes you visible not just to your fellow visitors but to search teams as well.

Can you survive the night?  Carry food and water with you whenever you are in the woods even if you only plan on being in the woods for a few hours or away from your vehicle for a short time.  Temperatures can vary wildly during the early days of autumn so taking an extra layer with you when you head into the woods can be a lifesaver.

How's your whistle?  Most foresters carry a whistle with them at all times when they are crashing through the brush.  The sound of a whistle will carry farther than the human voice and can be used alert people to your presence.

Shelter in place.  If you do get turned around when you are out in the woods the best thing you can do is to stay in one place.  It's easier to find someone when they remain stationary.

And finally, keep a good thought.  Your best friend in planning and enjoying a forest visit or in working through an emergency situation is a positive attitude.

See you in the woods!

August 25 & 26, 2020: McGregor Road Closed for Culvert Replacement

 McGregor Road off of Highway 26 will be closed on Tuesday, August 25 and Wednesday, August 26, 2020 for a culvert installation connected to timber sale activity.

Alternate routes to reach the upper portions of the McGregor area include access by Music Road and North Fork Wolf Creek Road.

Cook Creek Designated Campsites Open

The following designated campsites have re-opened to public use:

Designated Campsites

• Cook Creek Site #1
• Cook Creek Site #2
• Cook Creek Site #3
• Cook Creek Site #4
• Cook Creek Site #5

Designated Campsite & Recreation Areas Re-Open

Forest Operations in the area have been completed and the following sites are once again open for public use.

Designated Campsites

• South Fork Trask Site #5
• South Fork Trask Site #6 (also known as Lake Tahoe)
• South Fork Trask Site #7 (also known as Lake Tahoe)
• North Fork Trask Site #2
• North Fork Trask Site #3

Recreation Area

• Lake Tahoe is open to the public.  
• This includes the road into Tahoe, the trail and all areas surrounding the lake.

Cedar Butte Road Closure 8/1/20

Cedar Butte Road will be closed on Saturday, August 1, 7:00 am-10:00 am, from the junction at Meusial Creek Road to the 1 mile. Large equipment will be blocking the road during the closure. 

Campfire Closure

If you are headed out to dispersed camp in the Tillamook State Forest, please note that the fire danger level has increased to "MODERATE". 

This changes what is allowed for campfires and outdoor cooking gear.  For more information about fire season restrictions, please visit the "Fire Season" tab on this blog.

Thanks for helping to keep the Tillamook State Forest safe from fores fires.

Where can I have a campfire in the Tillamook State Forest?

      Fires are not allowed on rock or dirt roads to access recent timber harvest units.  These are not dispersed campsites and can be areas with increased risk of wildfires

If the fire danger level is MODERATE or higher, you can only have a campfire in the metal fire pits installed by the Oregon Department of Forestry in:

• Fee Campgrounds & Developed Day Use Areas
• Designated Recreation Areas
• Designated Campsites

Where can I smoke?

You can smoke in the closed cabin of your vehicle on improved roads or while in Designated

Recreation Areas, Fee Campgrounds or Designated Campsites.  This applies no matter

what the fire danger level.

What methods of heat can I use to cook in my campsite?

What methods you can use to cook depend on the fire danger level.

If the fire danger level is MODERATE or higher, cooking is limited to:

• Metal fire pits installed by the Oregon Department of Forestry
• Propane or gas camp stoves
• Propane or gas BBQs

If the danger level is  MODERATE or higher, charcoal and wood burning BBQs are

prohibited outside of designated campsites and designated recreation facilities.

Vehicle Access Restrictions

Raven Ridge Trail Temporarily Closed: Effective 06.01.2020

The Raven Ridge Trail is CLOSED until further notice due to timber sale related road and project work.

To keep an eye on the latest trail information, visit our Trail Reports on the Oregon Department of Forestry non-motorized trails page.

Forests Open for Dispersed Camping

Here's What's Open in Oregon's State Forests

Recreate Responsibly

State forests are relatively remote and rural. Surrounding areas have worked hard to prepare their health systems for Phase I of re-opening and need to proceed with caution. Please try to find a local outdoor destination to enjoy.

If you can't delay travel, please consider the following:

• Your actions could add an unnecessary stress on first responders.​

• If you get lost or injured, it may take longer than usual for someone to assist. Calling up Search and Rescue teams puts a large stress on county resources, volunteers and their families and strain health care systems with limited capacity.

• Please check with the land manager where you are headed to confirm the area is open. Closures related to COVID-19 are changing frequently, this page will be updated as needed. 

How can I visit state forests while maintaining social distance?

• Prepare for your visit with the clothing, supplies, and knowledge you need to have a safe visit.

• If you're ill, stay home.

• Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue (then throw it away) or inside of your elbow.

• Avoid touching your face.

• Bring hand sanitizer or soap and water – while some restrooms are open, most are vault toilets and do not have running water.

• If a place is so crowded you can't maintain a healthy social distance — at least six feet — find a different place to go.

May 11 Dispersed Camping Temporary Closure

Play it Safe, Play at Home

Press Release - Campground Openings Delayed, Bathrooms Closed

TEMPORARY CAMPING CLOSURES ANNOUNCED FOR OREGON STATE PARKS, STATE FORESTS, AND WILDLIFE AREAS

SALEM, Oregon –Three Oregon state agencies will suspend camping to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will accommodate current overnight guests through April 2. Reservations for all state park stays from April 3 to and including May 8 will be canceled and site fees refunded. Before May 8, the department will review the state park campground closure to decide whether it should be extended. The decision affects all individual and group overnight facilities: campsites, yurts, cabins, tepees, and services operated by concessionaires. The suspended service also affects reservations for group day-use areas.

The Oregon Department of Forestry maintains campgrounds in the Clatsop, Santiam, and Tillamook State Forests. Most campgrounds are currently closed for the season, and will not reopen for individual or group use. Year-round campgrounds will close starting on Monday, March 23. All day-use and campground restrooms are temporarily closed due to limited janitorial services. A reopening date for all restrooms and state forest campgrounds has not yet been determined. During this time, trails, forest roads and trailheads on state forestlands will remain open to the public.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing its Wildlife Areas to overnight camping effective Sunday, March 22. The closure affects both dispersed camping and established campgrounds. Several wildlife areas are also currently fully or partially closed to all visitors as part of annual seasonal closures to protect wintering wildlife. While camping will be prohibited, wildlife areas that are currently open remain open to visitors for day-use activities including wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation. See the ODFW Wildlife Area Visitor Guide for more information (link at bottom).

State park, forest, and wildlife area camping areas are built into relatively small areas by design. Maintaining social distance is difficult. Working with fewer staff and volunteers is becoming a reality, making it difficult to maintain proper cleaning procedures. To support the state goal of reducing transmission of COVID-19, temporary campground closures are necessary. The details of these actions—such as dates and affected programs—are under constant review and will change as new information develops.

This will reduce long-distance travel for many people, but all state natural resource agencies remind Oregonians that a local outdoor experience can improve our mental and physical health, especially now. Daytime activities are still widely available and encouraged. The usual reminders, plus the new COVID-19 guidelines, apply:

• Prepare for your visit with the clothing, supplies, and knowledge you need to have a safe visit.
• If you're ill, stay home.
• Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue (then throw it away) or inside of your elbow.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Wash regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It's up to you to practice good personal hygiene, and not every place at every park can be kept clean all the time.
• If place is so crowded you can't maintain a healthy social distance—at least six feet—find a different place to go.

Know before you go:

• Travel Oregon travel alerts: https://traveloregon.com/travel-alerts/.
• State park service reductions and closures: https://bit.ly/OPRD-covid.
• Oregon Department of Forestry: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://myodfw.com/visit-odfw-wildlife-areas

By Appointment Only

Hello All,

In an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon and to protect employees and the public, effective Monday, March 23, 2020, the Oregon Department of Forestry will be changing the way it provides services at its main office in Salem and field offices statewide.

Our ODF offices will remain open, but starting March 23, in-person interactions between staff and the public will be by appointment only. This approach will allow the department to continue providing important services—including fire protection, timber sales, and forest practices operations—and avoid impacts to local economies while protecting employees and communities.”

We do offer a number of online services, including electronic filing for notifications of operations. For those who need additional assistance, please call the local ODF office. We will try to help by phone. If in-person discussion or assistance is necessary for service provision, we will set up an appointment.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact your local Oregon Department of Forestry Office.

Thanks for your help and understanding! 

Archers Road Weekday Closure

Archers Road will be closed at milepost 3.25 Monday-Friday, 5:00am-3:00pm, due to active logging operations. The road will be open on Saturday and Sunday. The closure will last until approximately April 3, 2020.

CANCELED - April 18th Tillamook State Forest SOLVE Clean-Up

Hi Everyone,

We just received word from our partners at SOLVE – they will not be hosting the April SOLVE IT! project this year.

In that light – the Tillamook State Forest April 18^th SOLVE Forest Clean-up is CANCELLED.

Please help us get the word out.

We know a lot of you have questions about other dates on the 2020 recreation calendar.  Right now, we do not have any answers about other events or dates currently scheduled for the 2020 recreation season.  When we do have answers, we will get those out to you as soon as possible.

Thanks for your understanding and support!

CLOSED - Tillamook Forest Center

For the health of our staff, volunteers and visitors, the Tillamook Forest Center is CLOSED to the public effective Monday, March 16, 2020.   This closure will last through at least March 31, 2020.  We will re-evaluate and update our schedule at that time.

We hope you make plans to visit us again once we re-open.

Sincerely,
The Tillamook Forest Center Team

POSTPONED: March 28 Trail Mix Work Party

Hi Everyone,

The Trail Mix Volunteer Work Party scheduled for March 28, 2020 is being postponed in the interest of volunteer health and safety.

The Oregon Department of Forestry recreation team will be working with the work party organizers to reschedule this great day of trail maintenance and teamwork for later in the spring or summer.

Thanks to all who helped organize and to all who signed up ready to spruce up the Tillamook State Forest non-motorized trail network.

Stay tuned for updates about the status of April volunteer opportunities.  We plan on making a "Go / No Go" decision no later than Monday, March 30, 2020.

Trask Cutoff Road Closed

Trask Cutoff Road is closed due to road damage. Crews are working to repair the road and anticipate it will reopen on Friday, February 28, 2020.