Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 5-7 miles
Elevation Gain: minimal
Leader: Regna Merritt
Location: Opal Creek Wilderness, Willamette National Forest

Just two hours from Portland, a hike into the old-growth groves of Opal Creek is like a walk back in time to Oregon as it was before logging and development. Trees up to 250 feet high and 1,000 years old can be found here, as well as rare wildlife and beautiful waterfalls.

This amazing area is home to a tremendous diversity of fish, wildlife, and plants, including elk, black bears, and the endangered northern spotted owl. In addition to wildlife, hikers exploring Opal Creek can marvel at the sight of dozens of waterfalls, several lakes, and massive cedar and Douglas fir trees that were already ancient when Lewis and Clark first explored Oregon 200 years ago.

Participants in this Opal Creek hike will have the pleasure of being joined by one of the activists that fought for its protection – Regna Merritt.

Though the rare old-growth forest and pristine waters of Opal Creek are today preserved as Wilderness, in the 1990s the region was the center of intense controversy over plans by the U.S. Forest Service to allow logging in this unspoiled area. The efforts of Oregon Wild and other conservation groups helped stop the logging and win Wilderness protection for Opal Creek in 1996. Find out more about the history of this magical place on this one-of-a-kind hike.

Hike is limited to 10 participants.

Sign up for the hike here.

(Oregon Wild members ($6) and non-members ($9). All proceeds from hikes support Oregon Wild’s campaigns to protect wildlands across the state.)

If you are unsure if your Oregon Wild membership is current, please call 503.283.6343 x 224. To join, please click here.