Only in Oregon: Roaring Ridge Trail #3312 The lightly used Roaring Ridge Trail in the Willamette National Forest takes you 2.9 miles through old growth Douglas fir and cedar trees. It crosses the Roaring River, which lives up to its name as it emerges from underground and rushes to join the waters in the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. There is some elevation gain, but it's worth the effort for occasional river views and the natural solitude. For just $30, you and up to 49 of your closest friends could reserve the nearby Roaring River group campground from May to October.  You'll need to bring your own water though. This is one of the many great paces along the Aufderheide Scenic Drive from Westfir off Highway 58 to Blue River on Highway 126.  The Middle Fork and ... 09/15/2013

Only in Oregon - Constitution Grove On September, 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates from the Constitutional Convention gathered in Independence Hall in Philadelphia to sign a document that would become the supreme law of the land - the U.S. Constitution. Two hundred years later, Oregonians gathered in the Willamette National Forest in a Douglas fir and cedar grove where the trees were probably just teenagers when the Constitution was signed.  The Willamette National Forest created a living memorial to that groundbreaking event. A monument (shown below) was embedded into a large rock by the otherwise unmarked small parking area beside the Aufderheide Scenic Drive.  Wooden plaques with the names of each of the signers, along with the state they represented, were placed on some of the old gr... 09/14/2013

  Only in Oregon: Old Growth Forest Camping Beside A Wild & Scenic River Nestled beside a designated Wild & Scenic River is lightly used Kiahanie Campground in the Willamette National Forest.  For just $10 a night, tent and RV campers enjoy the quiet beauty of an old growth forest and the gentle sound of the crystal clear river lulling them to sleep at night. The campground is located about 20 miles northeast of Oakridge just off the Aufderheide Scenic Drive (Highway 19).  It's at an elevation of 2,200 feet with 19 camp sites, most of which lie beside the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. The river is one of forty Wild and Scenic Rivers designated in Oregon.  In 1988, the Pacific Rivers Council (then Oregon Rivers Council) took the unprecedented step of crafting the... 09/07/2013