By the 1930s the timber industry owned large areas of prime

forestland in the northern Coast Range.

The magnificent early coast range forest included scattered

openings and young stands created when trees died from insects,

disease, wind and fire. Some trees grew to ten feet thick and 300

feet tall!

Oregon’s Most Infamous Forest Fire

On August 14th, 1933 one spark changed the landscape forever.

The day dawned hot and dry in a forest ripe for fire. A logging

company working in Gales Creek canyon planned to shut down

early due to the extreme fire danger. As loggers dragged in the last

log it was pulled over the top of another, creating enough friction

to ignite a fire.

The Tillamook Fire burned a total of 240,000 acres including the

day it “blew up” destroying 200,000 acres of forest in 24 hours.

Additional fires scorched the area again in 1939, 1945, and 1951,

creating the Tillamook Burn and the legend of the six-year jinx.

All the fires were caused by careless logging and spurred the state

to strengthen fire prevention regulations. In the end, the series of

four wildfires burned 355,000 acres of forest land—an area four

times the size of Portland.

History

The Burn Becomes the Burden of the CountiesMany landowners walked away from their “worthless” lands in the Tillamook Burn. Ownership of these lands transferred to the counties, creating a financial and environmental burden. The Forest Acquisition Act, passed in 1939, encouraged counties to deed the foreclosed lands to the Oregon Department of Forestry in exchange for a share of future timber harvest revenues, giving rise to the state forest system we have today.

The World’s Largest Reforestation ProjectThe department began a huge reforestation project in 1949 that resulted in the planting of 72 million tree seedlings. Governor Tom McCall dedicated the Tillamook State Forest in 1973. It remains an amazing living tribute to the resiliency of the land and the dedication of a generation of Oregonians.

Managed for a Wide Range of ValuesToday, the Oregon Department of Forestry manages the Tillamook State Forest for a range of social, environmental and economic benefits. The health of the forest, from wildlife habitat to water quality, is a driving force behind a forest management plan adopted in 2001. The plan calls for a sustainable level of timber harvesting that is designed to improve the forest’s health and contribute revenue to local schools and counties.

Fun in the ForestPack up the family and your camping gear and head out to the Tillamook State Forest to one of eight developed campgrounds that offer arange of features. Most campgrounds operate from May through October and charge a small fee. A few campgrounds include facilities for horses and off-highway vehicles.

The children worked in pairs. Typically, a boy would excavate the soil and then a girl would plant a bare-root seedling.

Many local and Portland-area schools participated in the replanting effort in the 1950s and 60s. Here, a group of Tillamook schoolchildren gather to plant seedlings near Muesial Creek.

Selective thinning of crowded tree stands allow

the remaining trees to grow larger more quickly.

Are you ready......to explore a unique state forest located just 35 miles west of Portland in the lush, northern Oregon Coast Range? The Oregon Department of Forestry invites you to discover the Tillamook State Forest.

Here you will find 364,000 acres of rugged mountains rising above clear rivers where salmon and steelhead return to spawn. Majestic elk roam the forest while busy birds and scurrying squirrels dart through shrubs and treetops. Delicate spring wildflowers emerge across the hillsides and valleys only to surrender their colors to yellow-tinted broadleaf trees in the fall.

Buckets of rain from late fall through spring nourish a green world of mosses, ferns and trees. The summer and early fall are generally warm and dry—a time when visitors need to be cautious with fire and comply with fire restrictions.

Plan Your VisitWhether you’re looking for a scenic drive on the way to the beach, a place to pitch your tent, or a trail adventure, you’ll find something special in the Tillamook State Forest. Many visitors also enjoy the forest and its streams for fishing, hunting, kayaking, swimming and wildlife viewing.

1933 Tillamook FireThe smoke plume from the 1933 Tillamook Fire rose to 40,000 feet as the inferno raged across a 15 mile flame front. The power of the fire created a hurricane force wind that uprooted trees and snapped them like matchsticks. Nearby coastal cities were plunged into darkness at mid-day due to the thick, blinding smoke. Ashes and cinders fell on ships 500 miles at sea.

University Falls

A forester measures the diameter of a tree in preparation for a timber sale.

Gales Creek Campground

3/08

For More InformationIf you’re looking for more specific information on the Tillamook State Forest, pick up additional brochures at one of our district offices or click through our web site: www.oregon.gov/ODF/TSF/tsf.shtml

To get travel information in Oregon by phone, dial 511 or 1-800-977-6368 or check Oregon Department of Transportation’s Trip Check web site: www.tripcheck.com

Forest Contact InformationTillamook Forest Center45500 Wilson River Highway

Tillamook OR 97141(866) 930 - 4646

www.tillamookforestcenter.org

Tillamook District Office5005 3rd Street, Tillamook, OR 97141

(503) 842 - 2545

Forest Grove District Office801 Gales Creek Road

Forest Grove OR 97116(503) 357 - 2191

Recorded Recreation Hot Line (503) 359-7402

TillamookSTATE FOREST

Today

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Nehalem Bay

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Charles SpragueMemorial Wayside

Kilchis Park

JordanCreek

Footbridge

CedarButte

JonesCreek

DiamondMill

SmithHomestead

KingsMtn.

ElkCreek

LydaCamp

University Falls

StagecoachHorse Camp

Rogers Camp

DeyoeCreek

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Gales Creek

Gales Creek Overlook

Reehers Camp

Buxton

Tophill

Beaver Creek

FourCountyPoint

SunsetRest Area

HenryRiersonSpruce Run

NehalemFalls

Roy Creek

Oswald WestState Park

Nehalem BayState Park

Barview

Cape MearesState Park and

NationalWildlifeRefuge

Cape LookoutState Park

StonesRoad

Siskeyville

Vanderzanden

Mapes Creek

Tillamook Forest Center

CoalCreek

SandBeach

L.L. “Stub” StewartState Park

KeenigCreek

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Onion Peak3,057’

Rogers Peak3,681’

Larch Mountain3,449’

Kings Mountain3,226’

Elk Mountain2,788’

Roundtop Mountain2,885’

Tilden Bluffs2,589’

SouthSaddle Mtn

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Woods Point3,196’

Cedar Butte2,907’

TriangulationPoint3,294’

Gobblers Knob3,051’

Windy Point2,881’

Hembre Ridge2,947’

GrindstoneMountain

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Neahkahnie Mountain 1631'

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Edwards Creek Learners’ Loop

MorrisonEddy

Portland20 miles

Seaside24 miles

Seaside14 miles

McMinnville3 miles

Carlton

Yamhill

CampingTrailheadOHV Staging AreaHorse CampBoat LaunchHand Boat LaunchPicnic SiteScenic Viewpoint

ODF District Headquarters

Clatsop State ForestTillamook State Forest

Paved RoadGravel Road

ODF Managed FacilitiesMaintained By Other Agencies

Visitor Center

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You’ll find a trail for every type of use and challenge, with separate areas for

motorized and non-motorized activities. Make your way on foot, mountain bike or horseback on

trails of varying difficulty. The Tillamook State Forest also offers one of the most popular off-highway vehicle trail systems in the Pacific Northwest with several staging areas available for four-wheel-drive, motorcycle and quad riders. Look for viewpoints, waysides, and picnicking opportunities along Highway 6 and Highway 26. The Gales Creek Overlook provides a view across the area that burned in 1933. The Smith Homestead Day Use Area and Jones Creek Day Use Area overlook the Wilson River and provide a great place for a picnic. The Forest Learning Shelter at the Smith Homestead offers a large rustic shelter that can be rented for private events.

A Cool Escape from the Heat and Great Fishing TooWith five rivers—Nehalem, Miami, Kilchis, Wilson and Trask—draining the west side of the forest, you will find many opportunities for water play and a chance to fish a world-class salmon or steelhead stream. Nehalem Falls was a Native American fishing site and is a great place to view fall Chinook salmon jumping the falls.

Trail Adventures

There are hundreds of miles of maintained forest roads

to explore, but drivers should be aware that gravel roads

require more caution and slower speeds. Carry a forest

map, water, check your spare tire and be alert for log

trucks and other vehicles. Stay to the right and expect a

vehicle around every corner.

The Tillamook Forest Center is a must-see for visitors looking for a fun place to visit. Experience indoor exhibits, outdoor trails and family programs covering the early forest, the fires, human interactions, and the forest today.

Coho salmon return to spawn in a side channel

of the Wilson River.Visitors to the Tillamook State Forest find an extensive network of off-highway vehicle trails.

Hikers enjoy exploring miles of woodland trails like this area on the Gales Creek Trail.

Tillamook Forest Center