One of the biggest hurts of lockdown for me is that I miss my friend and coworker Kristin. So. Much. After eight weeks of not seeing her every day, she came over to my house for a physically distant hangout in the backyard. We were talking about her weekend plans, which included camping in the coast range and perhaps getting in the river, and when she shared all her tips for places to go, I took mental notes. So just a coupe days later, Nat and I drove to a campground in Clatsop State Forest, followed a country road into Tillamook State Forest, and marveled at the gorgeous confluence of the Nehalem and Salmonberry rivers. I had always wanted to see the Salmonberry Trail, a planned “rails-to-trails” trail along the Salmonberry River. The railroad was washed out by a storm in 2007, so the “trail” is not safe or legal for public access. Nat and I walked just a bit of it and were completely enamored. Well, I was, anyway. I think about this magical place all the time now.
Great photos! Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, which runs steam and diesel-powered excursion trains along the coast out of Garibaldi and up the Nehalem River, has been working with the Salmonberry Trail group to build the trail alongside the rails from Tillamook to at least Salmonberry (possibly as far as Enright, 5 miles in the canyon). The railroad plans to transport trail users to and from the coast and the Salmonberry Canyon once the trail is completed. I have fond memories as a kid watching the long freight trains crawl past our family’s 100 year old cabin in Rockaway every summer. Sad to see the freight railroad go but I’m glad the corridor will once again be available to the public to explore this incredible scenery up close, and that the steam trains will continue to run along the coast and the Nehalem River!