Is Opal Creek still closed?

The 20,454 acre Opal Creek Wilderness features steep and rugged forested hillsides….At a Glance.

Can you swim in Opal Creek?

The water at Opal pool is a crystal clear swimming hole that almost looks emerald from afar and is truly one of the most beautiful places to swim in Oregon. You see where the pool originates as Opal Creek flows down through a chasm it has formed in bedrock before is plunges 30 feet into the beautiful pool.

Are Jawbone Flats open?

Jawbone Flats is closed to the general public until further notice. We highly recommend that summer visitors carpool if at all possible. The Forest Service has established parking limitations at the Opal Creek trailhead. Please see the Willamette National Forest website for special regulations in place at Opal Creek.

What forest is Opal Creek in?

Willamette National Forest
The Opal Creek Wilderness is 20,827 acres and includes the 8,000 acres of the Bull of the Woods Wildernes, located within the Willamette National Forest Boundary. After the designations, an advisory council was set up to guide management of this special area.

Is Opal Creek hike open?

Right now, the sites that have a bathroom are considered “developed” and remain closed, Willamette National Forest spokeswoman Tammy Robinson said. That means Three Pools, Opal Creek Trailhead and Shady Cove Campground are closed, she said. Coronavirus:As Oregon’s outdoors and parks reopen, where can you go?

Did Opal Creek burn down?

Large swaths of the 34,000-acre Opal Creek Wilderness and Recreation Area burned after historic winds turned a small fire into an inferno Labor Day night. The fire destroyed the bridge over Henline Creek — the main access point from Salem and Portland.

Is Opal Creek three pools open?

Site CLOSED in 2021. This site requires a Northwest Forest Pass or Interagency pass. To reduce the risk of theft, we no longer accept payment on-site.

Is Opal Creek busy?

The classic hike in the Opal Creek area features old-growth forest, multiple waterfalls, iridescent swimming holes and a wilderness village at Jawbone Flats. This is also the most popular hike by far and often crowded during the height of summer, even midweek. On summer weekends, it’s often overrun.

Did Jawbone Flats survive the fire?

All of the buildings at the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center at Jawbone Flats burned except one — cabin 4. The site’s outdoor classroom and water treatment plant also survived. “It’s horrific,” Ancient Forest Center executive director Dwayne Canfield said after getting pictures of the area from fire crews.

Is three pools Oregon Open 2021?

Site CLOSED in 2021. This site requires a Northwest Forest Pass or Interagency pass.

Did Jawbone Flats survive?

‘It’s horrific’: Large swath of Opal Creek forest, Jawbone Flats hit hard by Beachie Creek Fire. All of the buildings at the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center at Jawbone Flats burned except one — cabin 4. The site’s outdoor classroom and water treatment plant also survived.

How long is the Opal Creek hike?

11 miles
The hike is challenging, at 11 miles round-trip with 3,900 feet of climb. There are options for an even longer backpacking loop, so bring a map. The hike begins on uber-popular Opal Creek Trail, following the old road/trail for 0.6 miles to a bridge over Gold Creek.

How to get to Opal Creek in Oregon?

Access: Opal Creek Wilderness can be reached via Oregon State Highway 22 and Marion County North Fork Road. The county road becomes Forest Road 2209 at the forest boundary.

What was the history of Opal Creek Forest?

History: Opal Creek’s ancient forest was thrust to fame in the 1980s by controversy over Forest Service logging proposals. National television crews and thousands of visitors hiked to Jawbone Flats’ rustic mining camp and scrambled over a rugged “bear trail” to view the endangered old-growth groves towering above this creek’s green pools.

Where is Jawbone Flats in Opal Creek Oregon?

To return on a loop, turn left, cross a footbridge at the head of Opal Pool, climb to an old mining road and keep left through Jawbone Flats, a well-preserved collection of 27 buildings dating from 1929-1932. Jawbone Flats has been donated to the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center as an old-growth study center.

Where is Shady Cove Campground in Salem Oregon?

Shady Cove Campground is located in the Opal Creek Wilderness about an hour east of Salem. The campground is small with only 13 first come, first serve campsites and it fills up very quickly during peak season and warm weekends.