NPSO 2022 Annual Meeting

May 20 - 22     Spirit Mountain Lodge, Grand Ronde, Oregon

Field Trips

Friday May 20, 2022    1 - 4 p.m.                    Field Trip # 6

Difficulty:     Easy  (3-miles round-trip, plus optional 1-mile North Loop to view old growth) - Wide, well-used trail, long suspension bridge.

Elevation:     490 feet elevation gain

Group Size Limit:     12, maximum of three vehicles

Trip Description:     East of Lincoln City, the 2.6-mile out-and-back trail to Drift Creek Falls descends gently through a second-growth rainforest in the Coast Range. This coniferous forest of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is draped with moss and lichens, and many woodland species line the trail. The falls come into view as you cross a 100-foot high, 240-foot suspension bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Oregon and Washington. Engineers say it sways no more than 2 inches and can support 165,000 pounds. The water falls 75 feet in a single drop over columnar basalt that was created 55 million years ago. A short steep trail to the base of the falls allows a spectacular view of both the falls and the bridge.

Notable species include goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus), salal (Gaultheria shallon), red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), deer fern (Blechnum spicant), western swordfern (Polystichum munitum), devil's club (Oplopanax horridus), bleedingheart (Dicentra formosa), foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata) and other coastal woodland species. Huge stumps of western red cedar bear the signs of planks where loggers stood when using crosscut saws. Since there is no official plant list for the site, participants are requested to help generate a list for future visitors.

Appropriate Clothing and Footwear:     Unless it's been dry for a week, wear waterproof footwear.

Special Considerations:     NW Forest Pass or $5 fee for Suislaw National Forest required. This is a popular hiking site, so parking lot can be full.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 6 leaves at 1 p.m. from Spirit Mountain Lodge entrance. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time to meet your group and arrange carpools.

Alternate Meeting:     Participants may also meet the trip at 1:45 p.m at Drift Creek Falls parking lot. If you choose this option, be sure to notify your trip leader in advance.

Driving Miles and Time from Spirit Mountain Lodge:     27 miles, one hour. Mostly paved, last few miles on one-lane, curvy road with occasional pullouts.

Driving Directions:     From Spirit Mountain Lodge, take Highway 18 west to Bear Creek Road. Turn south (left) on Bear Creek Road and follow the signs to the Drift Creek Falls parking lot.

Leader:       Bruce Waugh

Corvallis Chapter

Plant Lists and Other Information:     Clink on the links below for more information about this trip.

Photo: Marna Porath
Lisa Blackburn, Cheahmill Chapter, snaps a shot of the falls from the bridge. The suspension bridge offers safe handholds and solid footing. The sway amounts to only a couple of inches.

Photo: Marna Porath
Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata) is among the many coastal woodland species along the well-maintained trail.