Zach Urness

Statesman Journal

This story is part of a special report on the past and future of the Opal Creek area. Find the full report here.

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When conservation groups fought to protect Opal Creek and the Little North Santiam River from logging decades ago, one of their arguments was that it could become a major tourist attraction.

The old-growth forest, waterfalls and jade-green swimming holes would become a refuge for urban populations seeking relief from the concrete. The area would become a living classroom for children with a dwindling connection to nature.

Twenty years after legislation preserved the area, those dreams have become reality.

But something else happened during the past five years.

“We saved Opal Creek from logging,” said George Atiyeh, who led the effort to protect the area. “But now it’s being completely loved to death.”

Today’s threat to Opal Creek isn’t timber sales, but rather fast-increasing crowds flocking into the area during the height of summer.

Trash, fires and bad behavior have become serious issues at Three Pools Recreation Site and on the Opal Creek Trail to Jawbone Flats.

Booze, trespassing and crowds mar Little North swimming holes

Drug use has increased. Drinking is a problem. Cars are often parked for miles down Forest Service Road 2209, said Katie Ryan, executive director of the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center at Jawbone Flats.

“I started to notice the uptick around 2008, but the major spike has been since 2013,” Ryan said. “In the last few years, the trash has really grown and cars at the gate are overflowing. At my favorite off-the-beaten-path swimming hole, I found litter at the bottom. It’s kind of heartbreaking.”

The rise in crowds has led Opal Creek veterans Atiyeh and Ryan to propose limiting crowds through a permit entry system.

At Pamelia Lake, in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, and Obsidian Trail, in the Three Sisters Wilderness, the number of hikers and backpackers is capped by entry permits that must be purchased in advance.

“My goal would be to have some restrictions, so that it’s not the free-for-all we have now,” Ryan said. “I don’t think we’re at the crest of the wave. Oregon’s population is expected to soar.”

It could prove challenging to implement a permit-style entry system, said Jude McHugh, public information officer for Willamette National Forest.

The majority of crowds impact Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area — areas like Three Pools and the trail to Jawbone Flats. The Opal Creek Wilderness itself — the area north of Forest Road 2209 and south of Jawbone Flats — isn't quite so overrun.

“The kind of user we’re seeing at Opal Creek is there more for day-use — a short hike and swim — and they're mostly sticking to the Scenic Recreation Area,” McHugh said. “We haven’t had much of an issue in the wilderness area itself.”

She said the Forest Service has taken measures, such as outlawing parking on roads near Three Pools and the Opal Creek Trailhead, to limit crowds.

The increase in visitors isn’t all bad, and it’s not uniform, Ryan said. The Opal Creek area remains quiet during the rainy season. It's only the hot summer days that bring out the masses. And, with the area’s increased recognition, there’s more diversity among visitors.

“We’re seeing more diversity than five or 10 years ago, and that’s neat,” Ryan said. "There's more urban families that make the trip.

“And look, we want people to visit Opal Creek and have that wonderful experience. We just want them to focus on ways to minimize their impact. Opal Creek is an incredible place — unlike anywhere else — and we want it to stay that way.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.

This story is part of a special report on the past and future of the Opal Creek area.

From Sunday:The fight that saved Opal Creek's ancient forest

Explore more in the Opal Creek series:

— George Atiyeh: Guardian of Opal Creek

— In the 1970s, Salem residents fought for the 'Hidden Wilderness'

— The picture that helped save Opal Creek

— How Mark Hatfield, unlikely hero, saved Opal Creek

— Tourism part, not panacea to Santiam Canyon economy

