Zumwalt Prairie: High, Wide, and Lonesome

Zumwalt Prairie

Vast grasslands once covered much of northeastern Oregon, eastern Washington, western Idaho and on up into Canada until homesteaders plowed these under to create the great wealth of wheat, potatoes, lentils that make this region famous. However, there was a section in Oregon that was a bit too high in elevation (between 3300’ and 5000’) and a bit too remote for farming to be successful.

Young, red-tailed hawk.

The Zumwalt Prairie, located north and east of the town of Enterprise in Wallowa County, is the largest (about 200 square miles) tract of remaining bunchgrass prairie in North America. Its rolling hills run from bright green in the spring and early summer to shades of yellow and brown as the season progresses. With little sign of human habitation other than a few cattle ranches and plenty of abandoned farmsteads, the place is alive with wildlife including 3,000 elk, black bears, wolves, cougars, bighorn sheep and over 48 varieties of butterflies. The prairie is home to one of North America’s highest concentrations of breeding raptors (golden eagles, prairie falcons, northern harriers, kestrels and numerous varieties of hawks) as well as grassland songbirds.

In 2000 and 2006, The Nature Conservancy purchased 33,000 acres, or about 51 square miles, and has been working in partnership with various state agencies and local ranchers to manage invasive species, develop sustainable grazing practices, and protect animal and plant habitats.

Abandoned farm on Zumwalt Prairie

To visit the prairie, fill up your gas tank and follow Hwy. 82 east of Enterprise about three miles. Turn onto Crow Creek Rd. to Zumwalt Rd. and follow the signs to Buckhorn Overlook. The road soon becomes gravel, but is well graded and fine for most passenger cars. Be sure to stop and look back at the sweeping view of the snow-capped Wallow Mountains. There are a few trailheads off Zumwalt and Duckett Roads, and a trail map produced by The Nature Conservancy is available at the Forest Service center in the town of Joseph.

View from Buckhorn Overlook

Other than the beauty, quiet, and wildlife, the main attraction in the prairie is the Buckhorn Overlook. Located at 5200’, this abandoned fire lookout sits on the edge of the Imnaha River Canyon and offers a view that is nothing short of spectacular. The steep walls of the Cow, Horse, and Lightning Creeks lead into the Imnaha River Canyon and beyond that is Hell’s Canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon), and beyond that the peaks of the Seven Devils in Idaho. And, the best part of savoring the view is that you will probably have it all to yourself.

Walking the Trails at Cape Perpetua

View at Cape Perpetua

On one of those endless searches for a Northwest Passage, British Captain James Cook, cruising along what is now Oregon’s Central Coast, spotted a large, towering headland.  It was March 7, 1778, and he named this landmark Cape Perpetua, in honor of St. Perptua’s Day.  On that same date in 203, this Christian martyr was thrown into an arena in Carthage, North Africa; mauled by a mad cow; and beheaded.  Not a good day for her. Captain Cook didn’t fare much better. Not only did he fail to find the elusive water route across North America, but later in the voyage he was stabbed to death by angry Hawaiian natives, abruptly ending his exploration career.

Today’s visitor, on the other hand, will have great success exploring Cape Perpetua. Begin at the Visitor Center, two miles south of Yachats on Highway 101, where movies and exhibits interpret the natural and cultural history of the area. From here, 26 miles of hiking trails fan out in all directions and offer an excellent cross-section of coastal scenery and flora. 

Rocky beach and tidepools on Capt. Cook Trail

  The Captain Cook Trail to the tide pools is certainly a must. Shortly beyond the Visitor Center, the trail passes by the foundations of the Cape Creek Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp. One of many such camps established during the Depression, Cape Creek offered unemployed young men job opportunities and $30 a month. At one point, there were 4 bunkhouses, mess hall, rec room, infirmary, and 200 men. These camp residents constructed many of the local trails, bridges, campgrounds and roads, including the one to the summit of Cape Perpetua. The trail continues through a tunnel under the highway to the tide pools and Spouting Horn. In addition to searching for sea stars, purple sea urchins, hermit crabs, and green anemones in this rocky tidal zone, look for Indian shell middens. Middens are ancient landfills and garbage heaps; a place where mussel-gathering natives threw their empty shells as long as 6000 years ago. North of here is the Devil’s Churn offering a close-up view of the power of the ocean. During storms and rough seas, waves smash through a narrow chasm in the volcanic rock creating huge plumes of sea water and foam.

Devil"s Churn

    The Giant Spruce Trail is an easy, one mile walk paralleling Cape Creek to a 500 year-old Sitka spruce. The nearly fifteen foot thick tree began life as a sprout on a fallen log. Over time, this nurse log rotted away leaving a large gaping hole at the tree’s base.

West Shelter

Cape Perpetua is the highest viewpoint accessible by car on the Oregon Coast and offers a stunning view on clear days. The St. Perpetua Trail to the overlook climbs 700 feet uphill from the Visitor Center by way of eleven switchbacks. The easier option is to drive to the summit on Forest Service Roads 55 and 5553, on the east side of Highway 101. From the overlook parking lot, the Whispering Spruce Trail makes an easy quarter mile loop around the top and includes the West Shelter. Built by the CCC in the summer of 1933, this historic stone lookout provides views of 150 miles of coastland from Cape Foulweather to Cape Blanco and 20 miles out to sea on a clear day. It was used by the Army during World War II to search for unfriendly ships and planes. Today, it is better used as a lookout for migrating whales.
For the more adventuresome, the Cook’s Ridge and Gwynn Creek Trails make a 6.5-mile loop from the Visitor Center through old-growth forests of Douglas fir and Sitka Spruce.

The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is open seven days a week from10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Ranger guided walks (Eco Treks) are offered on Tuesdays at 1:00pm in the month of August.

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge: Birders Paradise

Swimming in circles

If you think you have noisy neighbors, pity the poor mallards, herons, and red-tailed hawks living year round at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. They are about to receive a visit from tens of thousands of Cackling/Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, and assorted waterfowl as they stop here on their winter migrations along the Pacific Flyway. When the Corps of Discovery overnighted here in November, 1805, Captain William Clark complained in his journal that he couldn’t get a wink of sleep thanks to all the geese, swans, and ducks: “…they were immensely numerous and their noise horrid.”

The refuge, located in the flood plain of the Columbia River about 10 miles downstream from the Portland/Vancouver metro area, covers over 5000 acres of marshes, wetlands, and woodlands. It was established in 1965 partly as a result of the devastating earthquake in Alaska the prior year. The area around the Copper River Delta was lifted over 6 inches, severely altering the only summer, nesting habitat of the dusky Canada goose. To save the breed, efforts were made to protect their winter habitats along the Columbia River and in the Willamette Valley.
The refuge is divided into several areas, but the most accessible are the River “S” and Carty units, both near the small town of Ridgefield, Washington. To reach the River “S” unit, follow Interstate 5 north of Vancouver to exit 14. State route 501 leads west 2.5 miles to Ridgefield; turn left on 9th Avenue at the flashing school zone sign. It’s approximately one mile to the wildlife refuge sign on the right. A graveled, one-way road provides a scenic, four-mile loop through wetlands and forests. In winter, visitors are not permitted out of their vehicles except in a few areas, but there are numerous pull-offs and wide spots in the road for viewing wildlife. Between May and September, hikers can enjoy spotting songbirds, woodpeckers, and herons along the easy Kiwa Trail.
To reach the Carty unit, return to route 501 and turn left into downtown Ridgefield, a charming town and ideal place for a coffee warm-up. Follow Main Avenue a short distance north of town to another refuge sign on the left. This area is only accessible by foot and includes a short climb over an arched bridge across railroad tracks. On the other side, is the recently completed Cathlapotle plankhouse.

For thousands of years, people as well as birds have inhabited this area along the lower Columbia River. In their journals, Lewis and Clark described a large, prosperous Chinook village here called Cathlapotle and documented over 900 inhabitants and 14 plankhouses. These long, cedar buildings were central to the Chinook culture and provided a place for sleeping, cooking, working, and celebrating. The explorers met and traded with the natives and camped nearby on both legs of their journey.

To commemorate this historic event, volunteers have built a full-scale, Chinook-style, cedar plankhouse to serve as a classroom for interpreting the natural and cultural heritage of the area. It took over three years and 3500 hours of volunteer labor to complete the 2800 square-foot building and it is the only Chinook-style plankhouse replica in existence. Since it is staffed by volunteers, the building is open only periodically. To view their calendar, check the website  to confirm open hours. Even if the building is closed, it is still interesting to view from the outside. Near the plankhouse is the trailhead for the Oaks to Wetland Wildlife Trail winding a little over two miles and passing lakes and a wide variety of habitats.