Ski trips and some truly bad weather in mid-January put hiking on hold for a couple of weeks. When the rain and wind finally let up, I was itching to get my outdoor fix. With sunshine finally in the forecast, I texted my buddy Catherine and invited her to join me.
Beautiful, mossy coastal forest
With higher gas prices, these days I'm all about visiting trails closer to home. For a quick drive without the metro area traffic, the Oregon coast range has become my go-to hiking place. The nearby Gales Creek trail was today's destination. However, when Catherine and I pulled into the trailhead parking area, we were disappointed to see orange tape strung across the trail. With our first choice closed for construction, I decided to try for University Falls, whose trailhead was directly across the highway. However, this trailhead is also used as a staging area for ATV users, and on this Saturday we found it swarming with all types of motorized recreation vehicles. Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat!
Loved the light on the trees
Okay, option number three? I decided to drive a bit further down the highway to my standby coast range hike - the section of the Wilson River Trail between Jones Creek and Footbridge Trailhead. Upon our arrival at the Jones Creek Trailhead, we both breathed a sign of relief to find it very much open. Yahoo - finally time to hike!
The Wilson River is an unusual green-blue color
The Wilson River Trail is a 20.6 mile linear path that mostly follows the Oregon Coast Range's Wilson River. Several trailheads along its route make for easy access to hike a short portion of the overall trail. The scenery is amazing - thick forests of huge, mossy trees; large patches of ferns; steep, rugged canyons; and the lovely, blue-green waters of the Wilson River.
Huge, mossy tree on the riverbank
From the parking lot, Catherine and I first ambled down to the nearby banks of the mighty Wilson. Recent heavy rainfall had it running fast and furious. Then we meandered through some nice riverside picnic areas, until encountering a trail detour through the closed Jones Creek campground. Although this detour was a bit annoying (an extra mile of out of direction travel) the thick, green mossy forest it crossed was especially lovely.
Views from our wonderful lunch spot
Once back on the main trail, Catherine and I passed by the Tillamook Forest Learning Center, which was closed for the season. At least the bridge between the trail and the center was still open. We walked upon the huge suspension bridge spanning the Wilson River and enjoyed the views anyway.
Raging rapids
Then our trail dived back into the forest, and although still following the river, it was perched high above the water on top of tall bluffs. Thick trees allowed only a handful of unobstructed views of the mighty Wilson. Several crude fisherman's paths dropped steeply down to the banks, but most of them looked precarious enough to keep us on the main trail.
To our delight, two kayakers paddled by
We spied a handful of fisherman scattered upon the Wilson's banks all trying for steelhead, an oceangoing trout that is supposed to be good eating.
The men put on a show as they shot the rapids
Catherine and I covered a good 2 miles before the high bluffs flattened out and we could access the river without clambering down a steep bank. I spied a lovely flat area adjacent to the water with a wide patch of moss-covered rocks, and suggested we take a lunch break there.
Kayakers conferring
Oh it was divine! We reclined on the moss-padded rocks and pulled out our lunch bags. The river burbled through a small set of rapids, its waters churning bright blue. A large stand of alder trees towered over the river, their bare white branches providing a nice contrast. The sun streaming down from the sky warmed our bodies. My friend and I happily soaked up as much solar energy as we could.
Splash!
As we were happily sunbathing on the riverbank, enjoying our lunch, I thought the day couldn't get any better. But it did! Catherine spotted a pair of kayakers paddling upriver. Excited, I grabbed my camera hoping for some action shots. I wasn't disappointed - the men floated down to our lunch spot, and seeing us on the banks, looped around the rapids a couple of times. Much photography ensued!
Scouting his next line
I really wish I could've gotten the men's contact information, but the sound of the rushing water was so loud, there was no way they could've heard me (or me them). So we waved and I clicked my shutter as fast as possible. Maybe if by some off chance, these guys see this blog post (hah!) they will contact me. I'd be happy to share some images!
More photos of the lovely Wilson River
Watching those kayakers was definitely the day's highlight. After the men finally disappeared downriver, Catherine and I packed up our lunch remains and continued further down the trail. When I've hiked this section in the past, the Footbridge Trailhead was usually the turnaround point, but today we were both feeling a bit tired. Neither of us had hiked very much lately, and eight miles round-trip seemed like a lot. So we decided to cut our trip short and make Wilson River Falls the day's destination.
Water crossing at Wilson River Falls
Our trail diverged from the riverside and began climbing up a steep switchback. A tall cliff rose above the track. We came upon a wide creek flowing across the trail. High above, Wilson River Falls cascaded from a rocky ledge. Full of runoff from the month's frequent rainstorms, it tumbled mightily down the steep cliff face. So beautiful!
Wilson River Falls, flowing high above the trail
After an enjoyable few minutes watching white water tumble down the slope high above, Catherine and I did an about-face, retracing our steps back through the green, mossy woods towards the trailhead.
Thick moss and ferns engulf this tree
As we headed back, afternoon clouds began to obscure the day's lovely sunshine. It made me realize how much better the forest looked lit up by the sun. In contrast now everything seemed duller, and I wasn't motivated to take many more photos.
I couldn't get enough of the river views!
But we'd had a golden morning of sun, forest beauty, and lovely river views that would sustain us through next week's gloomy rainstorms. Another great outing!
My hubby's New Years resolution is to walk a certain number of steps every day. He's been very diligent about meeting this goal, even heading out in the pouring rain to get his steps in. However, one Saturday morning in late January I suggested "Instead of walking the same neighborhood route, why don't you join me for a hike?"
Foggy hills above the Wilson River
The day's weather wasn't very promising - rain was forecast. However it appeared there was a short window of dry weather in the late morning, so we decided to get a quick saunter in before the heavens opened up. Naturally I didn't want to drive very far, so suggested someplace in the nearby Coast Range.
Huge mossy tree
There's wonderful trail in Oregon's Coast Range that follows the Wilson River. A total of 20.6 miles in length, frequent trailheads provide multiple access points to allow for shorter section hikes. I've trekked a small portion of this trail, and so far my favorite part has been the section from Jones Creek Day Use Area to the Footbridge Trailhead. I suggested to hubby that we head there.
Spooky forest
The sky was dripping precipitation when I parked at the Jones Creek Trailhead. Donning raingear hubby and I set out into the wonderful mossy forest of the Coast Range. Here the trail followed the Wilson River, flowing furiously after an overnight rainstorm. Lined by lots of grand fir trees, mossy rocks, and ferns it was a lovely sight.
However, we'd only covered a half mile when we encountered our first roadblock. A construction fence was strung across the trail - apparently a nearby bridge was out.
There's the bridge!
What to do? Lucky for us, the closure notice attached to the fence also included a map of nearby trails. It appeared the downed bridge could be bypassed by hiking through nearby Jones Creek Campground and rejoining the Wilson River Trail on the other side. It added a half mile or so to the daily total, but since our goal was to get steps, it was no biggie.
Side creek crossing
So hubby and I navigated our way through the closed Jones Creek Campground, making a couple of wrong turns before finding the correct connector trail. This path wound through a beautiful forest full of mossy old trees and huge green ferns. I kept finding so many photo subjects it took me awhile to cover the extra half mile distance. But it was so pretty I was glad for the detour.
More wonderful mossy trees
After crossing a side creek on a sturdy bridge (that was very much intact) we rejoined the Wilson River Trail. Passing by a huge suspension bridge over the mighty Wilson, we briefly considered walking across to visit the Tillamook Forest Learning Center on the opposite shore. But a sign indicated it was closed due to COVID so we continued on.
Fairy tale forest
This section of trail followed the Wilson near river level. I enjoyed glimpsing it's blue-gray waters between mossy tree trunks. Hubby noticed a few fisherman scattered along the banks, all vying for winter steelhead.
And yahoo - the intermittent sprinkles that had fallen off and on since we'd started our hike finally let up. It was nice to finally hike with my hood down.
Wilson River framed by mossy trees
I made frequent stops to photograph the amazing scenery, especially the mossy trees. With leaves absent from the branches, the brilliant green moss really stood out. Some trees were absolutely coated with the stuff.
These trees had tiny branches
Some of the trees had tiny nubs for branches, each with a tuft of moss attached.
The mighty Wilson
Another mile down the trail hubby and I ran into another closure notice. This one mentioned downed tree removal and trail repair work a short distance ahead and to detour onto the adjacent powerline road. Since it was a weekend, I didn't think any work was happening, and told hubby we should just keep going.
Detour on a powerline road
But.....only a short distance later we came upon another fence blocking the trail. It appeared we could easily slip around this obstacle, and it was tempting to ignore the sign and keep going. But my law-abiding hubby said we probably shouldn't (also the sign also mentioned a stiff fine for noncompliance). Not willing to backtrack the entire way, we ended up bushwhacking through the forest to reach the powerline road.
Back to the riverside trail
After crashing through brush and ferns, it was nice to walk on a level gravel road. Luckily, the detour wasn't too far of a distance and before we knew it another sign directed us back to the Wilson River Trail.
Moss close-up
I'd mentioned to hubby that this portion of the trail was relatively flat. However, after a couple of miles, the trail began to climb quite a bit - a fact that I'd obviously forgotten.
Trail lined by mossy rocks
The path zigged and zagged uphill until we were looking down on the Wilson River, far below.
Another river view
But all that climbing did give us great views. Not only of the Wilson River, we also passed by a nice waterfall. It was named - you guessed it - Wilson River Falls.
Wilson River Falls
The waterfall was near the trail's high point, so once we passed by this cascade, the trail began switchbacking downhill to eventually reach the Footbridge Trailhead on the banks of the Wilson.
Taking in the lush forest
My hubby's knees aren't fond of downhill grades, and the steep downhill in combination with some extremely slippery mud made him extra cautious. We traveled a short distance gingerly stepping over the muddy track. It didn't seem to be getting any better the lower we descended. Afraid of wrenching a knee, hubby asked if we could turn around early.
Wilson River's emerald waters
Since the detours had added some mileage to our day I was fine with cutting our trek short. Besides, the sky was darkening once again, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the afternoon's predicted showers would start up.
Mega-mossy forest
Retracing our steps we climbed back to the waterfall, then downhill to near the river level once again.
Fog in the woods
Thus far, we'd only encountered a half dozen people, all of them fisherman. But past the waterfall climb, hubby and I began to meet a couple of hiking parties traveling in the opposite direction. Still it was nothing like the crowds of hikers we would've encountered at some of the more popular Coast Range trailheads (or in the Columbia River Gorge).
Hubby watching the fishermen
At one place where the trail gave particularly nice views of the Wilson River, hubby and I stopped and took in the beauty of the aqua-green water. We watched a couple fishermen on the opposite banks casting for steelhead.
Steelhead fishermen
Then we meandered back down the trail, past the suspension bridge, until we reached the final trail detour. Winding through the beautiful mossy forest once again, I couldn't help but take just a few more photographs, despite droplets beginning to fall from the sky. Back at the campground, I took a quick potty break at a very stinky pit toilet (but luckily it was open - and even had tp!). After my little break I noticed this very cute building in the campground with trees carved into it's door. I think it served as a woodshed for the campground.
Cute woodshed at Jones Creek Campground
From the campground it was a quick (very quick because it was now full-on raining) back to the parking area and hubby's truck.
Driving home, we passed by overflowing trailheads at Elk and King Mountains. Cars lined the highway on both sides. I remarked how lucky we were to have had such an empty trail where we hiked. Encountering less than a dozen hikers, I decided we'd chosen well for our trek. Not only that, we'd succeeded in meeting hubby's step quota for the day.
The day after my long drive to Cedar Creek Grist Mill and Lewis River Falls, I was itching for a good fall color hike. The prior day's trip had been a lot of driving with very little hiking. And, although the grist mill and waterfalls were pretty, their autumn colors were past peak.
Tired of spending time in the car, I really wanted something close to home. And I wasn't keen on driving all the way across Portland again. Where to go?
The mighty Wilson River
It came to me in a flash - the Coast Range! There was a huge network of trails along the Wilson River. Only 40 miles west of home with no city driving whatsoever. And....on this last weekend in October, I'd heard the autumn colors might be close to peak.
Lovely place for a picnic!
The Wilson River Trails weren't new to me. I'd hiked a segment back in 2013 with my dog Bear. Although the forests were nice, I didn't recall them being off-the-charts gorgeous. Besides hiking, I remembered the area had lots of "other" uses (off road vehicle trails, fishing, even target shooting-but thankfully not near the hiking trails). These multi-use recreation areas are not usually my first choice for hiking destinations, which is probably why I'd never returned.
Fallen leaves along the shore
Today I decided to give the area a second chance. So westward ho I went! Based on my prior experience, I had very low expectations for the Wilson River Trails. I was merely hoping to get in a good walk, take a few photos, and if I happened to spot some fall color, so much the better!
Colorful reflections
The morning started out cloudy. Passing through scattered fog banks on my drive, I hoped the skies wouldn't drop any moisture. But minutes before I arrived at my destination, the fog lifted, and bright sunshine greeted me as I pulled into the Jones Creek Trailhead.
The best view was on the bridge
A short access road crossed the Wilson River on the way to the trailhead. From the bridge, I got my first glimpse of trees lining this river, and boy were they colorful! I made a mental note to walk back over with my camera.
Backlit leaf
With most of the Oregon side of the Gorge closed for hiking, I expected to see lots of people on the rest of the trails. Imagine my surprise when I pulled into the Jones Creek Trailhead at 11:00 on a Saturday morning and was only the third car!
Another gorgeous view
Immediately, I headed down to the river's bank. Several user trails threaded through the thick forest, passing scattered picnic sites (which were surprisingly empty on this beautiful fall day). My first view of the mighty Wilson River was a great one. Sunshine illuminated the yellow and orange trees lining its banks, and gave the river's water a brilliant blue hue. The light was perfect, and the autumn colors appeared to be at peak.
Lots of golden trees overhanging in the river
Needless to say, my hike was delayed a bit as I wandered along the river's bank, capturing all of this incredible beauty. The fall colors were so bright, vivid, and plentiful, I felt as if I'd hit the photography jackpot.
Colorful forest
After at least an hour of capturing the forest around Jones Creek Trailhead, I decided if I was going to get in a hike, I'd better get moving. So I headed west, following the well-graded path paralleling the Wilson River. The scenery was so spectacular, it was hard not to stop and take photo every other step.
Bright leaves
About a half mile from where I'd parked, a huge suspension bridge spanned the Wilson River. This bridge led visitors to the Tillamook Forest Center. Oregon's coast range has a long history of logging and destructive wildfires. This visitor center strives to educate the public about reforestation, forest management, and wildfire prevention.
Footbridge to Tillamook Forest Center
Although I did walk up on the bridge to take in some river views from on high, I wasn't planning to explore the visitor center. Today's goal was to hike and photograph nature.
Impressive bridge!
Beyond the bridge, my path twisted through dense second-growth woods. Logged extensively, Oregon's coast range is far from pristine. On far side of the river I caught occasional glimpses of State Hwy 6 and heard traffic noises. At one point the trail paralleled a gravel road and two dirt bikes flew by.
Bridge span view between the trees
For the most part, the Wilson River Trail had been fairly level. But about two miles in, it began to climb. Traversing the side of a steep cliff, the trail led away from the river.
Colorful hills
I kept seeing signs for Wilson Falls. I vaguely remembered a small waterfall last time I'd hiked the trail, but couldn't remember exactly where it was. After what seemed to be an eternity, I finally came upon a small rushing stream crossing the trail. Was this all there was? Then I thought to look up.
The forest was a delight to walk though
High above me, a delicate sheet of water fanned out over a rock cliff, tumbling into a channel that then ran across the trail below. I didn't remember this waterfall being so lovely, but it was!
Here's a short video I shot while walking through the forest, just to give you an idea of the Oregon Coast Range's dense foliage.
Nice river view
My day's destination was the Footbridge Trailhead, 3.5 miles from where I'd parked. Nearing this area, the trail dropped down off the ridge, crossing several small streams on sturdy bridges. Last time I'd hiked here these crossings had been only single logs spanning the water. I remembered this because my dog had fallen off one of those logs. Thankfully he wasn't hurt, but it made me realize his hiking days were coming to an end.
Wilson Falls
Although now quite hungry and thirsty, I held out until I finally came upon the large riverbend that signaled the Footbridge Trailhead. Although I hadn't seen many people on the trail, quite a few folks were hanging around the riverbank here.
Bottom of Wilson Falls
It was a gorgeous place to sit, have a snack, and enjoy this perfect autumn day.
River Bend at Footbridge Trailhead
I even shot a short video to show all you how nice it was here!
My return trip was much quicker. By mid afternoon, the sun's angle was no longer highlighting the colorful foliage, so photo stops were few and far between. I was thankful I'd taken the time at the very beginning of my hike to capture these stunning fall colors.
Fantastic day!
The day was a rousing success! I covered seven miles, and my broken toe (now nearly healed) did wonderfully. Not only did I hit the Wilson River at full autumn peak, the weather cooperated with sunshine and amazing light.
It's always nice when a hiking destination exceeds your expectations. On this day, the Wilson River was full of surprises. Lucky for me, they were the good kind.
