Drift Creek Wilderness

Photograph taken in the Drift Creek Wilderness

Library image #2554

Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Drift Creek Wilderness (map) in 1984 and it now has a total of 5,798 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Oregon and is managed by the Forest Service.

Description

The Drift Creek Wilderness (5,798 acres) is one of three small wilderness areas established on the Siuslaw National Forest by Act of Congress in 1984. Drift Creek Wilderness is located in the Oregon Coast Range, north of Waldport and south of Newport, Oregon. There are about 8.5 miles of trails in the Drift Creek Wilderness. Stock use prohibited due to fragile soil conditions.

Towering Sitka spruce and western hemlock that sometimes reach seven feet in diameter shade the Coast Range's largest rainforest stand of old growth. The steep canyons of rock-splattered Drift Creek may give you the impression of mountainous country, but the forested hills rise only slightly above 2,000 feet. Soaked by as much as 120 inches of annual rainfall, moss and ferns as thick as six inches cushion the ground along numerous streams shadowed by overhanging bigleaf maples. Roosevelt elk and black bears share this lush territory with two endangered Oregon species: northern spotted owls and bald eagles. In fall, Drift Creek comes alive with spawning chinook and coho salmon as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout.

Planning to Visit the Drift Creek Wilderness?

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Drift Creek Wilderness.

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.