Wilson River Trail

Don’t let the weather stop you from hiking. This is a great one to do anytime of year.

In the last few days, the seasons have really changed.  The leaves are not just turning color, they are falling.  the mornings are COLD.  The sun is low in the sky.  As they say in Game of Thrones “winter is coming”.  And I have to say, I love it… at least so far.  The meteorologists say very wet weather is headed our way, so I may change my tune in a few months but for now, I think this is perfect hiking weather.  

Recently, I’ve been into river hikes.  They are fairly flat and full of good stopping spots for the baby.  So last week, Emmi, Brigitte and I headed out to the Wilson River Trail.  This trail about 20 miles long so we did only a section of it starting at the Jones Creek Trailhead.  Just a half mile beyond the trail head is the Tillamook Forest Center.  IMO this is a much better starting point.  It has water, snacks, bathrooms and a cool interpretive center.  

We intended to hike all the way to the “foot bridge” but misread our guide book and turned back too early.  So we probably only hiked about 3 miles total.  If we had made it all the way to the footbridge and back it would have been closer to seven.  

The path was covered with leaves, the air was crisp and the river was rushing.  There is a little up and down along the banks but no actual climbs.  One mark against the trail is the road that parallels it.  The trail weaves in and out to the gravel road so you’re never too far from “civilization”. 

This trail would also be great for car shuttles.  With such a long trail to explore it’s a shame to backtrack so if you have an extra vehicle give it a try.    Here is a list of the trailheads and lengths.  But if you want to do the hike we did, start at Jones Creek then hike west 3.5 miles.  This is a great wintertime hike, so keep it in mind on the next clear day.  Happy trails!

WILSON RIVER TRAIL
JONES CREEK TO FOOTBRIDGE
7.2 MILES ROUND TRIP