(Northwest Oregon – 1/16/24) — At least nine Oregon State Parks have closed or partially closed due to ice, snow and downed trees along the North Coast and valley.
The current closures include: Saddle Mountain State Natural Area, Ecola State Park, Elijah Bristow State Park, Jasper State Recreation Site, Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site, Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint, the day-use area at Nehalem Bay State Park, the Vista House and the campground at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park (for incoming reservations that have not checked in) and the Buxton Trailhead. Several restrooms have also closed, mostly along the Columbia Gorge. Visitors are encouraged to check park pages on the state park website before visiting as well as local forecasts and TripCheck for road conditions.
- L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is closed through Friday to incoming reservations that have not already checked in. The day-use area at the park remains open, but the Buxton Trailhead along the Banks to Vernonia State trail is closed. The park is recommending chains or traction tires for all travel.
- Park officials closed the day-use area at Nehalem Bay to focus on keeping the campground open. Crews are working to clear downed trees and limbs. “We’re clearing dozens of downed trees and hundreds of broken tree limbs and downed branches at Nehalem Bay. In addition, we have broken water lines and standpipes and many busted hose bibbs. Several of our yurts were impacted by downed trees and branches, but initial inspections indicate no serious damage,” said Park Manager Ben Cox.
- Ecola Park Road remains icy, and there are several downed trees at the park, which could reopen as early as Wednesday morning depending on the weather and clean up.
- Saddle Mountain was closed Friday due to the snow and ice and will likely remain closed until the end of the week. The road is unsafe for driving, Cox said, starting just below the Lewis & Clark Mainline timber road. The main gate at the bottom of the road, near US 26, remains locked.
- Elijah Bristow State Park and Jasper State Recreation Site are closed due to extensive downed trees and icy road conditions.
- Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site is closed due to a power outage and icy parking area
- Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint is closed due to ice and snow.
- The Vista House is closed due to a power outage. Crown Point Remains open.
- In addition, three Willamette River Greenway access points have closed including Pengra, Cloverdale and Lynx Hollow
For updates about these parks and other Oregon State Parks, check https://stateparks.oregon.gov/ or call the park information line at (800) 551-6949.