Big River Loop Guide

C o l u m 4 b i a R Mayger i v e r Longview Quincy 432 Erickson Dike Rd Beaver Falls Rd 433 Clatskanie 30 Rainier 47 30 202 Mist 47 Vernonia St. Hellens r Scappoose Vernonia Hwy e v i R e m a l h e Warren N Ridgefi eld 30 47 C o l u Scappoose m b i a R i v e r Nehalem Hwy Sauvie Island Vancouver Wilson River Hwy Banks Columbi a River North Plains 30 W i 47 ll am Cornelius Pass Rd Skyline Blvd. ett e Ri ver Cornell Rd Hillsboro 8 Forest Grove Cornell Rd. Tualatin Valley Hwy 8 205 Henry Beaverton Hagg 43 Lake 219 217 Scoggins Valley Rd Spring Hill Rd Boring Gaston River Rd Laurelwood Rd Lake Oswego Damascus Bald Peak Rd Laurel Rd Scholls Ferry Rd Tigard Clackamas 224 212 210 Tu a lati n r 219 Rive 43 Sandy 99W 205 Tualatin Rd Stafford Rd Galdstone Roy Rogers Rd Scholls-Sherwood Rd Tualatin Bald Peak Rd 211 Rd 47 ood 205 rw She Tualatin West Linn 219 Sherwood 211 Springwater Rd Mountain Rd 99E Yamhill Boones Ferry Rd Stafford Rd Oregon City 213 240 99W Newberg Wilsonville Estacada Carlton 219 Dundee Locust St 99E Willam ett Knights Bridge Rd e Ri Arndt Rd 47 ver Canby Spangler Rd Beaver Creek Rd Lafayette 99W Mola Champoeg Rd lla R iv er Aurora 211 St. Paul Dayton French Prairie Rd McMinnville r e v 99E i R Meridian Rd g n i 233 d d 219 u P 211 213 214 221 Molalla 211 Lafayette Hwy Woodburn Molalla Forest Rd 18 Amity Grand Island Rd Amity Rd 99W Sheridan Willamina 18 18 99E Mt. Angel 213 Valley Brooklake Rd Junction 22 Bethel Rd 214 213 Zena Rd Wheatland Rd Wheatland Hazelgreen Rd Silverton Oak Rd Silverton Rd 22 Livemore Rd Keizer Smithfi eld Rd 221 Farmer Rd 214 Coville Rd Portland Rd 99W Salem Cascade Hwy 22 Dallas Commercial Rd 22 River Rd 214 214 Falls City Turner Independence Aumsville Monmouth 51 Liberty Rd Monmouth Hwy Sublimity Stayton 22 99W er Ankeny Hill Rd 223 Riv Hunsaker Rd ette er m iv a te R ll Lyons Luckiamu i Buena Vista Rd Corvallis Rd W Wintel Rd Buena Vista Ferry Jefferson Hwy Maple Grove Rd Talbot Rd Stayton Rd Pedee Airlie Duckfl at Rd Marion Airlie Rd Jefferson Marion Rd Corvallis Rd Stayton-Scio Rd Stayton-Scio Buena Vista Rd Jefferson 226 Kings Valley Scio maxfi eld Creek Rd Springhill Dr Camp Adair Rd Hoskins Independence Hwy Independence 20 99E 20 20 Kings Valley HwyKings Valley Albany 223 99W Blodgett 20 Oak Creek Dr Walnut Blvd Wren 99E 20 Harrison Blvd 20 20 S o Corvallis u Peoria Rd t h 53rd st 53rd Tangent S 34 a Philomath n Lebanon t r i e Tangent Dr a iv m 34 M ’s R ary River Ca la mary’s Peak Rd p 20 oo ia R i 99W v e r Decker Rd Greenberry Peoria Shedd r e 34 v i R e t t e m a l l Peoria Rd i Sweet Home Bellfountain Rd W Halsey Brownsville Alsea Bruce Rd 228 228 99E 34 Bellfountain Gap Rd South Fork Rd Alpine 99W Monroe Alpine Rd Diamond Hill Rd Harrisburg 99W Junction City W 36 il Cheshire la 99 m e t t e R i v e r Vida 36 126 Alvadore Coburg Green Hill Rd Hill Green Walterville Territorial Hwy Santa Clear Lake Rd 99 Clara Leaburg Belt Line Hwy Fern Ridge Lake 126 Elmira Royal Ave Eugene 126 126 126 126 99 Springfi eld Veneta Cantrell Rd Central Rd M ▲ BiddIG RIVER LOOP To Eugene le Fo rk W Jasper-Lowell Rd. Goshen il la m e tt 58 e R Willamette Rd i tarting from Cottagever Grove at the south end of the valley, this loop takes you south along the Coast Fork Big Fall Creek Rd. Lower Fox r S Hollow Rd e v of the Willamette River, with a stop Pengraat a Rd. large reservoir, Fall Creek i R Reservoir e then east along one of its main tributaries before you t t e m climb to higher-elevation forests along the Calapooya Winberry Creek Rd. a l l Creswell i Divide. You’ll notice a change in the rocks and plantsLowell at W Dexter Reservoir Boundary Rd. k Dexter r roadside, as you’ve crossed into older geologic formations o F t s that belong to southwestern Oregon. Coming down the a 58 o Lookout Point Reservoir C east side of the divide, you enter a rugged area with a history of gold-mining. As you explore further in this 99 unique corner of the Willamette Valley, visit serene waterfalls before you complete the loop by way of Dorena Reservoir. In winter the central part of this loop is often To impassable, but you can still find excellent birding in East Oakridge Regional Park just east of Cottage Grove. ▲ Loop sponsorship available Willamette Patterson Mtn. Rd Cottage Grove National Boundary Rd. B9 Row River Rd Forest FR 5840 B8 N Fork Rd. Dorena Lake Government Rd North Side Rd. FR 17 Sunset Rd. 58 Westfi r Oakridge FR 17 R B7 o w R B1 i v e Laying Creek Rd London Rd r Umpqua Cottage Row River Rd Grove M National os Lake B2 by Forest C Brice Creek Rd r Cottage Grove Res. Rd e e k B5 Sharps Creek Rd FR 22 London Rd London Shoestring Rd B6 Big R iver Fairview Big River Rd Peak FR 2212 Sharps Creek Rd B3 Couger Bend Rd Martin Creek Rd Bohemia London Rd Mtn. BLM 23-2-22 Clark Creek Rd FR 23 Subject Umpqua to winter National closure Forest Snow Peak B4 41 41 Row Creek Rd B1. Cottage Grove Lake – The upper end of this reservoir has Lower End a series of developed parks and campgrounds (closed in winter) that From I-5 Exit 172 at S end of Cottage offer a wide variety of birding habitats. Grove, go E on 6th St, which turns The backwater at Williams Creek into London Rd. Follow for 4.1 mi provides close views of waterfowl. to intersection with Cottage Grove Wilson Creek has open pine woods Reservoir Rd on L. From here either next to marshy and riparian areas, turn L and go 0.6 mi to Riverside Park with nesting Osprey, Tree and Violet- at base of dam (GPS 43˚ 42.959’ N, Green Swallows. At Pine Meadow, 123˚ 02.968’ W), or continue for 0.5 ponderosa pines, Douglas-firs and mi on London Rd to Lakeside Park (MP cottonwoods host Brown Creeper, 2.8). Chestnut-backed and Black-capped This reservoir on the Coast Fork of Chickadees, and wintering Townsend’s the Willamette River is home to Bald Warbler with kinglet flocks. A human- Eagles year-round, with nesting Osprey acclimated Wild Turkey flock may and many species of waterfowl. In late wander through from nearby residential fall, the water level is lowered but deep areas. Shortridge Park is shaded by water remains around the dam and mature Douglas-fir, hemlock and big- Y hosts flocks of Green-winged Teal, leaf maple. Look for Hermit and Varied TILLE Bufflehead, Common and Hooded Thrushes in winter. Listen for Pacific- T Merganser, Lesser Scaup, and Pied- slope and Hammond’s Flycatchers billed Grebe; view from Lakeside Park in spring, along with Cassin’s and or from a small pullout on the E end Hutton’s Vireos and Black-throated of the dam just above Riverside Park. Gray Warbler singing from oaks and PA PHOTO BY: Watch for Spotted Sandpiper on the madrones on the slopes above the Northern Saw-whet Owl shore. A wastewater treatment pond reservoir. In winter, when water levels near Riverside Park is closed to the are drawn down, check for Least 7 of London Rd) is the closest stop for River drainage and the Umpqua River public, but you can scan the American Sandpiper and American Pipit on the gas and groceries, and is open limited drainage to the south is the highest Wigeon flock from the road to pick out sparsely vegetated mudflats. hours. This road can be closed due to elevation part of this birding trail. The Eurasian Wigeon. snow in winter. hemlock, red-cedar and Douglas-fir BRCVDOTS forest with patches of alder, maple, RVOTQS Sponsorship available GONS TS and madrone is home to Ruffed and Sponsorship available Sponsorship available Sooty Grouse, Northern Goshawk, B3. Big River Road Spotted Owl, Pileated and Hairy B2. Cottage Grove Lake – From Lakeside Park (Site B1) go S B4. Calapooya Divide Woodpeckers, Hammond’s and Olive- Upper End Loop 10 mi on London Rd to MP 13. Just From MP 8 3/4 of Big River Rd (GPS sided Flycatchers, Gray Jay, Hermit From Lakeside Park (Site B1) continue before bridge, turn L on Big River Rd 43˚ 42.959’ N, 123˚ 02.968’ W, see and Varied Thrush, Hermit, Wilson’s S 1 mi on London Rd to Williams Creek (paved). Mileposts along Big River Site B3), follow main route as it curves and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Western Rd to scan a reservoir backwater, then Rd are painted on the pavement. Bird sharply R and up hill. The road winds Tanager, and Red Crossbill. The crest of continue 2 mi to intersection with along road to MP 8 3/4 at junction with steeply uphill for the next 5 mi to reach the divide at Snow Peak offers stunning Reservoir Rd.

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