Barrier-free fishing
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Featured Accessible Sites
We've selected the sites
below to showcase some of our premier accessible sites. There are
many more sites that offer some degree of accessibility. Please
check
individual
trail and campground descriptions in our Trip
Planning section for
more opportunities.
Accessibility
in rustic forest settings North Santiam Travel Corridor
McKenzie Travel Corridor
South Santiam Travel Corridor
Middle Fork Travel Corridor
What do we mean by "accessible" forest sites?
Forest
settings are rustic, most often without curbs, sidewalks
or handrails. Some have paved surfaces, some do not.
Some assistance may be required at some places. Though we strive
to remove as many physical barriers as possible when we develop
or modify
sites, the woods are very different from urban settings. So
we often refer to these sites as "barrier free" to distinguish
them from more built up urban places.
Our goal is to match the person with the place. The
forest offers a range of recreation opportunities from developed
campgrounds to primitive settings. The best way to talk about accessibility in the forest setting
is to describe the features of the site: what is the grade of trails?
is the surface compacted or loose gravel? are there accessible
restrooms?
People also look for different outdoor experiences. Some are
looking for
easy
access
to enjoy a view; others may be looking for a physical challenge. On this feature page, we've included sites that
offer a range of settings and different degrees of development.
The descriptions
below should help guide
you to a site that matches your interest and ability. Please
let us know how this information meets your needs.
North
Santiam Travel Corridor
Hoover Campground
Hoover Campground description and map
Barrier-free fishing platform at Hoover Campground
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Accessible camping at Hoover Campground |
Picnic tables at Upper Arm Day Use
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Platform for viewing and fishing |
Upper Arm Day Use
Upper Arm Day Use Area, located about 1.5 miles north of Detroit,
offers families a full range of accessible amenities including
trails,
picnic
site, wildlife viewing,
an interpretive
site,
fishing and swimming.
The trails are surfaced with compacted gravel and have safety
rails on the steeper sections. The trails are 4 to 5 feet wide
and range from 2 to 8 percent grade. The paved parking area
provides easy access to restrooms and other facilities. This
site does NOT have potable water.
Upper Arm Day
Use site description
McKenzie Travel Corridor
Delta Campground and Nature Trail
Log bridge along at Delta Old Growth Grove
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This recreation complex is located on gentle ground, featuring
hardened access routes from campsites to toilets and an amphitheatre.
It is located just a couple of miles east of Blue River, at the
northernmost entry to the Aufderheide Drive (Forest Road 19).
Six
campsites and two toilet facilities are accessible to people
with disabilities. The wide, hardened paths into the amphitheatre
are
also accessible.
The one-half mile Delta
Nature Trail takes visitors of all abilities into the Delta
Old Growth Grove. Here you can experience majestic old growth Douglas
firs and Western red cedars some over 180 feet tall
from an accessible interpretive nature trail. The trail is located
at the west end of Delta
Campground, and is open all year. The trail crosses beautiful
side channels and streams, which braid through the McKenzie
River delta. A brochure is available at the trailhead.
Dee Wright Observatory
Looking through portal from top of Dee Wright Observatory
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The
Dee
Wright Observatory is located just east of the summit of the
McKenzie Pass (Route 242) at milepost 77.5. Plan to visit in summer
since snow blocks the highway from about mid-November through late
June.
The
Observatory
was
built
from
lava rock during
the Great Depression by the Civil Conservation Corps Camp F-23
CCC
Company 927, located at Camp Belknap. After the lava house
was constructed, a 36 diameter bronze peak finder
was installed on the top level identifying the surrounding
mountain peaks. The observatory is named for Dee Wright (1872-1934),
a Forest Service packer for 24 years, and the foreman for the CCC. Today,
people of all abilities can visit the observatory. A paved access
trail leads visitors from barrier-free toilet facilities
into an interpretive court where stories of early travelers and
area geology are shared. The trail continues behind the observatory
into the interior of the observatory structure. From this point,
Visitors wishing to explore the brong peak finder take a staircase
made of lava rock and mortar to the top of the structure. Future
plans for this facilitiy include a barrier-free extension of
the
popular Lava
River Trail.
Sahalie Falls Viewpoint
People viewing Sahalie Falls from platform
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Visitors
of all abilities will enjoy the stunning view of Sahalie
Falls, where the McKenzie River plunges nearly 100 feet over
a basalt cliff. The paved trail from the parking area takes visitors
to a fully accessible toilet and an interpretive kiosk where stories
of native Americans and area geology are told. Follow the trail across a short bridge to a paved platform for
picture-perfect view of the falls and surrounding landscape. The
Viewpoint is generally open most of the year, with the exception
of December through February when the parking area is often blocked
by snow.
South Santiam Travel Corridor
Barrier-free river viewing platform at Yukwah Campground
Photo by Joanne West
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Yukwah Nature Trail
A 0.3 mile trail that is surfaced with compacted gravel and parallels
the South Santiam River within Yukwah
Campground (milepost 49 on Highway
20). This trail has a 36-inch tread width and grades of less than
5 percent. The trail offers access to six pulloffs and two accessible
platforms for viewing the river.
Yukwah Campground offers accessible
campsites with compacted gravel surfaces, a day-use picnic site,
and fully accessible restrooms. A number of sites are large enough
to accommodate RVs. Two other river platforms are located within
two miles of Yukwah campground and have asphalt parking lots
and compacted gravel trails and for access.
Walton Ranch Viewing Trail and Platforms
Herd of elk at Walton Ranch Homestead
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Walton Ranch Interpretive Trail is a 0.3 mile trail surfaced with
compacted gravel. The trail uses a bridge across Trout Creek and
two switchbacks
up
a moderately
steep
slope to bring visitors to a large platform with views
down on the Walton Ranch and the South Santiam River.
The trail
has a 36-inch tread with kick rails and only two short sections
with grades between 5 and 8 percent. Walton Ranch, a historic
homestead along on the old Santiam Wagon Road, is managed
as meadow
habitat for local elk herds.
Interpretive signs on the viewing
platform share information about elk management and prehistoric
use in the South Santiam watershed. The trailhead is located
at mp 48 on Highway 20 and across the highway from Trout Creek
campground.
Trout Creek campground offers a couple of campsites with graveled
surfaces, a day-use picnic shelter, and accessible toilets.
Walton
Ranch Trail Description and Map
Old Growth along Hackleman Creek
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Hackleman Old-Growth Grove Trail
A challenging 1.0-mile loop trail that is surfaced with compacted
gravel and meanders through a mixed-conifer old-growth grove. The
trail has a 36-inch tread, and extended sections with grades between
5 and 8 percent. Numbered posts located along the loop trail
link to an interpretive brochure (available at the trailhead)
for understanding features of a transitioning old-growth forest.
The trail winds up at a viewpoint next to Hackleman Creek at the
half-way mark before climbing back up to the trailhead along
a section of the old Santiam Wagon Road.
Hackleman Creek is home
to a distinct subspecies of cutthroat trout that has become
isolated from McKenzie River populations by lava flows within the
last
10,000
years. The trailhead is located at mp 69 on Highway 20 and
approximately 1.5 miles west of Lost
Prairie Campground. Lost Prairie
campground
offers accessible campsites and restrooms.
Hackleman
Old-Growth Trail Description and Map
Daly Lake Trail and Campsites
This trail is surfaced with compacted gravel and travels less
than 1000 feet to two primitive campsites to Daly Lake. The trail
has a 36-inch tread with kick rails, and extended sections between
5 and 8 percent. The parking lot has a compacted gravel surface,
trash cans, and an accessible toilet.
The two campsites have compacted
gravel surfaces, a fire ring, a picnic table, and room for tent
camping. This site does not have potable water. An accessible bridge
has been placed over the inlet stream to Daly Lake and a graveled
trail will be extended to the future site of a fishing platform
on the lake’s edge. A non-surfaced trail continues
around Daly Lake.
Daly Lake is 8 acres and offers a healthy population of Brook
Trout and a peaceful camping location that was a favorite springtime
stop for Judge John Emerson Waldo during his mountain travels to
the high Cascades. The Daly Lake trailhead is located on road 2266-450
which is a little more than 5.2 miles off Highway 22 (mp 25.7).
Daly
Lake Trail Description and Map
Middle Fork Travel Corridor
Clark Creek Organization Camp
Shelter at Clark Creek Campground
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This Organization Camp is located adjacent to Clark Creek on the
north bank of Fall Creek in an overstory of Douglas-fir, western
hemlock and western red cedar. This camp was one of four of this
type of camps constructed in 1936-1937 by the Civilian Conservation
Corps.
Clark Creek is popular and has seen continuous use by groups for
over 50 years. Reliable, repeat visitors have made Clark Creek their
traditional retreat for reunions, weddings and other group outings.
Some improvements were made to the site in the 90's to provide universal
access.
Barrier-free trail at Clark Creek Campground
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Many groups with limited mobility have stayed at Clark Creek.
The site includes a double vault accessible toilet, the paths
throughout
the camp are paved with asphalt and the parking area has been surfaced.
Groups take pleasure in the use of the community kitchen and large
dining area, a stone fire ring, five camp shelters, an amphitheater/chapel,
and a softball field.
Clark Creek
Campground Description
Salt Creek Falls Observation Site and Picnic Area
Salt Creek Falls |
Salt
Creek Falls is the second tallest falls in Oregon, dropping
286 feet. Salt Creek Falls is an impressive site, located just off
Highway 58, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, five miles west of Willamette
Pass. These beautiful, cascading falls can be viewed year round
but accessibility is limited in the winter because of snow pack.
Accessible
facilities include parking, restrooms and a well maintained trail.
A loop trail starts at the paved parking lot near the kiosk. Interpretive
signs about the area and the formation of the falls are displayed
at the kiosk.
About 50 yards down the trail is the viewing platform, which has
rails specially designed for viewing the falls from a wheelchair.
This is an ideal location for taking wonderful scenic photos. The
trail to the right of the platform is not accessible due to stairs.
To the left of the viewing platform the barrier-free trail continues
to follow the creek and loop past the picnic area, returning to
the parking lot.
Waldo Lake Area: Islet Campground
Waldo Lake
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Ancient glaciers formed Waldo Lake which lies high on the western
slope of the Cascades. Its crystal clear and exceptionally blue
water cover more than 10 square miles and reaches a depth of 420
feet. Three campgrounds are located on the east shore of Waldo Lake.
Islet Campground
lies on gentle terrain making it fairly easy to provide access for
visitors of all abilities.
Twelve sites in Islet have barrier-free fire rings, picnic tables,
curbed tent pads, trash receptacles and water hydrants. The key
trails throughout the campground, including beach routes have been
surfaced and safety barriers installed
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