Until the 1930s most of the 364,000 acres of the Tillammok State Forest was owned by timber companies but a series of forest fires starting in 1933 reduced it to a burned out wasteland. Oregon state became the land owner and it was thought that damage from the intense heat would prevent a forest from growing again. Oregonians, however, were determined to try. The forest was replanted from 1949 to 1973 in the largest reforestation project of its kind involving everything from a million trees hand planted by school children to seeds dropped from helicopters. 72 million trees were planted and there are no signs of the devastation today.
The forest center has a very good film about the fire and audio programs featuring interviews with people involved in fighting the fire and later planting the trees. There are also exhibits about homesteaders, loggers, forest management, and Native Americans. A small network of trail is located in the forest behind the center with longer trails branching off from it. The center is free and definitely worth a stop if you’re driving through the forest.
The center is accessible. The network of trails is partly accessible. There are some steps which necessitates backtracking. The trails are surfaced with hard packed dirt and finely crushed stone.
Long RV parking spaces are available.
Center 45.58569, -123.56052
When I see the word "Tillamook" I think of cheese. I have made the Tillamook cheese factory a destination for a weekend when I was living in Washington state.
ReplyDeleteWatch them make cheese, sample a good bit and buy some cheese that I just don't see anywhere else then head for one of the great Oregon State Park campgrounds for the night.
I know some people who go to the cheese factory just for the ice cream...
We spent a few days in Tillamook exploring the area so we did visit the cheese factory along with hundreds of other people! More on the factory in a day or two. I'm a little behind on the posts. :-)
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