WEEK 7: CASCADE HEAD & SMITH ROCK

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TKO + HYDROFLASK TRAIL PARTY 12/21

Protect access to the coast, desert and everything in between.

Cascade Head is a thrilling place – hiking out to the headlands, you feel as though you are tipping off the edge of the world. Meanwhile back in the forested section of Cascade Head, you can soak in the shades of green from the surrounding mosses and lichens. Thanks to our funding partner, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, we have taken on stewardship priorities up and down the Oregon Coast. We connected with the folks from the Siuslaw National Forest at the Hebo District to take on a challenging role in bringing a lost section of the Oregon Coast Trail back to life. As that section of trail leads to The Nature Conservancy’s property, out on the Headlands we also tackled rethinking the design and maintenance of that trail network.

The best way we know to grow our stewardship and advocacy across the state is through strong relationships with partners and land managers. We let our reputation propel us towards new ventures both near and far. Smith Rock State Park truly is a wonder. While that word has taken on new meaning through a tourism spotlight in recent years, this gem in our state parks system is packed with visitors now more than ever. We’ve dabbled in trail improvements over the years here. Through our strong partnerships with field staff from Oregon State Parks, we are now concentrating our efforts in 2020 to help lift up the park’s trail infrastructure through newly designed field training opportunities for both agency staff and local volunteers.

SUCCESS:

Oregon Coast Trails

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Feet of Trails Improved

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Stewardship Events

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Volunteer Participants

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In Kind Value of Volunteer Time

Closed for 12 years:

The Rainforest Trail section of the Oregon Coast Trail 

A 2008 winter storm slammed into Oregon’s coast and caused an exorbitant amount of windfall, flooding and slides. Cascade Head wasn’t spared and hundreds of fallen trees caused extensive trail damage. At that time the damage was too much to reclaim, and this section of the Oregon Coast Trail was closed indefinitely. Now, thanks to a concerted effort and partnership with Forest Service staff, TKO has worked on bringing this trail back to life. The work has been challenging, but this trail is worth reclaiming and we’ll be there with our volunteers and our growing family of coastal partners to help make it happen. 

TKO Rock School:

SMITH ROCK BECOMES A LEARNING LABORATORY

There is a strong need in the trails community to have a wider offering of training experiences that can build up trail stewardship skills not just within the volunteers community but the professional community as well. With the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s Trail Skills College and curriculum as our guide, TKO hopes to build upon that model to provide this type of training experience throughout Oregon. Recognizing the same needs, Oregon State Parks will be hosting a rock structure training in the spring of 2020 for their park rangers and have invited TKO volunteer leaders to attend. We hope that by providing support in developing this training, we’ll be able to expand this class into other places in Oregon that need it too.

TKO + Northwest Youth Corps Internship Program:

CREATING EXPERIENCES FOR FUTURE CAREERS

Northwest Youth Corps is amazing and we are thankful supporters of the work and service they provide. They offer experiences in conservation and recreation management to youth and young adults that set a foundation for careers in the outdoors. There is still a large leap for those participants to get jobs in this field and TKO has found that by teaming up with NYC through individual internship positions, we can create one more stepping stone toward jobs . Each week, our NYC interns spend 1-2 days with Forest Service trail crews and then host TKO trail parties over the weekend. The model has proven successful and we have been excited to witness our NYC interns go on to new job opportunities as a direct result of their experience with TKO, NYC and the Oregon trails they’ve improved during their service.

An array of the Painted Hills:

TNC’s Juniper Hills Nature Preserve

And just as our partnerships have brought us to Smith Rock and Cascade Head, The Nature Conservancy has asked to have our expertise in trail design and initiating development at this property near Post, OR – a remarkable array of central Oregon landscapes, featuring John Day and Clarno “painted hills” formations. TKO will be heading up volunteer vacations in June 2020 at Juniper Hills. Whether it be ocean views on the Headlands or desert vistas on 10,000 acres between the Ochocos and Maury mountain ranges, TKO is getting after trails in Oregon.

Latest News

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

ACTION ALERT: Forest Service cuts to seasonal staffing will hurt trails and recreational access

This post comes with big thanks to our friends at Washington Trails Association who invited us to borrow heavily from their similar action alert! We invite you to scan the similarities and differences between Oregon and Washington in WTA’s article with a carbon copy for Oregon that we created below. 

If you hike in Oregon, odds are excellent that you’ve enjoyed trails on U.S. Forest Service land. About 39% of Oregon (yes, that’s over 14 million acres of the state) is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. National forests contain some of the most iconic landscapes, popular campgrounds and beloved hiking trails in the state. Encircle Mt. Hood on the Timberline trail, hike along a National Scenic Trail like the Deschutes River trail, visit the Oregon Dunes along the coast, or backpack in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and you are enjoying some of the over 15,000 miles of national forest trails in Oregon.

You person with a hiking pack walks along a steep mountain trail with large white flowers along the hillside and scenic views.

Millions of visitors spread out in Oregon’s 14 million acres of Forest Service lands and 15,000 miles of trails. Photo by TKO volunteer leader Neil Cadsawan

A funding crisis is putting Forest Service trails, campgrounds and other types of outdoor recreation at risk. The U.S. Forest Service is currently making major cuts to its workforce that will reduce its ability to maintain trails, clean trailhead restrooms, collect trash and provide essential services. 

BUDGET CRISIS WILL CUT JOBS AND REDUCE SERVICES

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@ by Steve Kruger

Wildfire Resilience, Shellburg Falls Reopens in the Santiam State Forest

Among the many communities, natural landscapes, and hiking trails that were set ablaze in the historic 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, the Beachie Creek fire swept across Shellburg Falls Recreation Area in the Santiam State Forest southeast of Salem. Once the smoke cleared, TKO was called upon to help! […]

@ by Steve Kruger
A large group of TKO Trail Ambassadors stand in front of a waterfall. The image is overlaid by the TKO logo.

2024 Trail Ambassadors Foster a Welcoming and Accessible Outdoors

Trails have amazing potential to bring people of all backgrounds and abilities into the outdoors, yet gaps in information prevent many from doing so. That’s where TKO Trail Ambassadors come in! These volunteers help to create a welcoming environment on Oregon’s trails by offering a friendly presence to answer questions, providing maps and other information, and recommending local businesses and attractions. Looking back on the 2024 season, it’s easy to see the positive impact their passion and dedication had on Oregon’s trails and trail users.

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@ by Steve Kruger
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