Drift Creek Wilderness

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