The Tillamook Forest Center is home to a replica fire lookout tower. Photo: Chas Hundley
TILLAMOOK STATE FOREST – The Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust, an Oregon nonprofit organization that has spearheaded projects and initiatives in the Tillamook State Forest such as the Tillamook Forest Center, the Salmonberry Trail, and the State Forests Recreation Fund is hosting a gathering to honor their supporters and contributors on Saturday, September 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tillamook Forest Center.
Those wishing to attend must RSVP by sending an email to [email protected] no later than September 11.
The event will feature local food and beverages from Glenwood-area restaurant Out Aza Blue including “routebeer” floats with Tillamook ice cream in recognition of Highway 6’s recent designation as a scenic byway.
The event is not the only celebration of the scenic byway. The Wilson River Highway is also being recognized through an art installation at the Tillamook Forest Center through December 1.
“For over a century, the path of OR Highway 6 has served as a crucial route from the valley to the coast in one form or another. Follow the evolution of this vital artery from the original Wilson Wagon Road to today’s modern path in our fall art exhibit, Roots of Route 6′” reads a statement on the Tillamook Forest Center’s website.
Also present will be representatives from the Trust’s various current and past projects, including the Tillamook Forest Center, the Salmonberry Trail, and the State Forests Recreation Fund.
“This is a donor recognition event and not a fundraiser per se, but we will let people know that (and how) they can contribute and what the past contributions have enabled. We will be celebrating the new Pavilion, for example,” said Shawn Morford, who was recently hired as the executive director of the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust in an email.
Those over 21 can also purchase a craft beer from Pelican Brewing during the event.
The Tillamook Forest Center, an ODF-managed facility located in the heart of the Tillamook State Forest along Highway 6 will play host to thousands of visitors in 2019 who visit the Tillamook State Forest, either passing through on the way to the Oregon Coast, or for some, visiting the forest for what it has to offer, such as trails, rivers, off-road opportunities, foraging, fishing, hunting, and more.
The center features a replica fire lookout tower, an interpretive center, a bridge that spans the Wilson River and links to the Wilson River Trail, a theater that shows programs related to the historic Tillamook Burn, and presentations surrounding the history, wildlife, and vegetation of the Tillamook State Forest.
With a suggested donation of $5, visitors can find the center open in the fall Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More information can be found by visiting the Tillamook Forest Center website.
The Tillamook Forest Center is located at 45500 Wilson River Hwy in the middle of the Tillamook State Forest.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
