Marion County has reopened two of its Santiam Canyon-area parks and more openings are planned for the coming months as the region continues to recover from the devastating 2020 wildfires.
The seven parks, North Fork, Bear Creek and Salmon Falls in the North Fork/Elkhorn area and Niagara, Packsaddle, Minto and North Santiam along Highway 22, all were damaged by the wildfires and to date Packsaddle, North Santiam, North Fork and Bear Creek have opened, although they are limited
to day-uses such as picnicking, paddling and hiking.
Marion County recently hosted a tour of the seven parks. Participating were Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Colm Willis, Sheriff Nick Hunter, several parks and public works officials and members of the media.
Here is a stop-by-stop look at the tour as well as information on parking and day-use fees:
North Fork: Just two miles up North Fork Road from Highway 22, this was the most popular county spot pre-fires because of its Little North Santiam River beach access and proximity to the highway. Beach access is available as well as picnic tables, but the facility still contains vivid reminders of the severity of the fire damage. The road into the park is a bit rough. Log accumulations still must be cleaned up and sold for firewood. Hunter also cautioned about how fast-moving and cold the water will be for summer users.
Bear Creek: A new set of stairs leads to the beach. Picnic tables and some walking paths were the lone other amenities available by its May 15 opening. Parks officials are hoping to add camping.
Salmon Falls: This popular waterfall will not be open until at least the summer of 2025. Day-use improvements still are being planned. The badly scarred restroom must be replaced and parks officials will be using a grant to restore a wetland at the east end of the park. Stairs to the river and the swimming sites still must be repaired.
Niagara: This park, the county facility farthest east along Highway 22, won’t open until the summer of 2026. The park has 55 metal steps that survived the fire in good shape and lead to a large rock formation in the middle of the Little North Santiam. The rocks were the foundation for a paper mill that kept getting washed out by the river. The brick work and other infrastructure from the mill still can be seen and is more than 100 years old, said Russ Dilley, the county’s veteran parks coordinator.
Picnicking and hiking will be available once Niagara opens, but officials still are evaluating how to establish access to the rocks, which include great views of the swirling Little North Santiam as well as a waterfall on the south side. You can watch paddlers navigate a narrow chute around the rocks and scramble among the boulders, but you also can fall into the river and drown. Marion County Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Wilkinson was on the tour and told the story of a 2004 death at Niagara that is memorialized with a plaque in the rock wall.
Packsaddle: This facility was the first to reopen post-fires, although it suffered severe fire damage. Its key function as a put-in/take-out spot for paddlers remained viable because there was room for trailers to park and the ramp to the river was functional. A trail that headed east up the river was totaled. Officials already have improved the gravel roads leading into the park and are hoping for future parking lot, hiking trail restoration and ramp improvements.
Minto: “This looks really close,” Cameron said. “We’re almost there,” added parks restoration staffer Ryan Wade. The tour participants walked on a freshly graded gravel path. The new restroom positively gleamed. At Minto the possibilities are obvious. From a bluff overlooking the river floodplain you can see the network of riverside trails that are taking shape. Look for the park to open this fall. Minto also will form a major link in a planned rail trail up the canyon. The first segment, 1.5 miles from Gates to the Maples Rest Area, will use the Minto trail system. The project has received $2 million in state and federal funds and is facing a 2027 deadline to be completed.
North Santiam: Operations of the park were turned over to the county from the state parks system post-wildfires. There was quite a bit of fire damage and many forested areas are now “meadows.” But what the fires spared is of high value. Riverside campsites with freshly mowed grass. Hiking trails with river views. A covered group picnic shelter. Restrooms with flush toilets. A boat launch. A camp host helps oversee the park. “This one checks all the boxes,” county parks supervisor Kevin Thompson said. “It’s open. It’s great.” Parks planners are looking at adding RV sites, yurt and perhaps small cabins, with the goal being to raise revenue that will be poured back into park restoration and upgrades.
Those wishing to visit the parks should note that parking is severely limited on North Fork Road. Visitors should only park in official lots. Red stripes on the road indicate no parking areas. New signs have been added that note which properties are public and which are private. Visitors also should stay inside the plastic fencing that has been set up to protect young plants and seedlings.
Gateway Project: The county has added a pair of day-use fee stations on North Fork Road just a short distance from Highway 22. The county is using the same turnout it employed for the security system key entry pad when the road was closed because of fire hazards. The fee is $5 and the system is cash-less. Fee stations also have been placed at North Fork and Bear Creek, although the remoteness of Bear Creek meant the county had to install wi-fi to make the kiosk functional. No day-use fee will be charged at Packsaddle or North Santiam for the time being.
Other Park Properties: The two Bureau of Land Management parks in the North Fork area, Elkhorn Valley and Canyon Creek, remain closed but might be available for day use by later this summer, BLM officials said. The immensely popular Opal Creek/Three Pools area farther up the north fork on U.S. Forest Service roads might be years away from reopening because of tree hazards and road repairs.
As noted earlier this spring in Our Town, the Shellburg Falls trail system in the Santiam State Forest, has reopened for day use only. Visitors should turn north from Highway 22 on Wagner Road to reach the hiking and biking trailheads. The largely gravel access road is steep, windy and narrow and passes through large sections of private property. Visitors are cautioned to drive carefully and respect the property rights of residents.
