Oregon Hikers

The southwest end of Alder Ridge Elk Meadow is fenced off and bears a sign "BIO-HAZARD KEEP OUT AREA CLOSED." What's this about?

Interesting, especially since it's a fake meadow, created in the mid-1990s to draw elk away from nearby farm fields. I don't know, but I'm doing trail work there on Saturday, so I'll try to remember to ask the ranger.

Didn't see a ranger yesterday at Oxbow, but we'll be working there again and I'll try to find out. Someone suggested it might be a dump for horse manure, but I don't remember seeing any there!

bobcat wrote:Interesting, especially since it's a fake meadow, created in the mid-1990s to draw elk away from nearby farm fields. I don't know, but I'm doing trail work there on Saturday, so I'll try to remember to ask the ranger.

We live less that a mile from this meadow (as the Elk travels) I can tell you that they still prefer our gardens and fields to this meadow To be honest I don't recall ever seeing an elk or signs for Elk in Oxbow, there are lots of deer though. By contrast in the Fall and again in the Spring our neighbors field can have 15+ Elk bedding down in it.

This is purely conjecture but I always thought that was the parks mini sewage treatment / drain field area. ie pumping it up away from the river because there is no sewer system out here.

Yep, the grass is always more alluring where they don't want you to be.

I remember seeing a couple of elk at Oxbow once; I recall a couple of fairly sizable herds down in the Nature Conservancy's Sandy River Gorge when you were allowed to hike there. Oxbow may have too many visitors for the elks' comfort. There always seem to be lots of deer, especially around that meadow.

bobcat wrote:Yep, the grass is always more alluring where they don't want you to be.

I remember seeing a couple of elk at Oxbow once; I recall a couple of fairly sizable herds down in the Nature Conservancy's Sandy River Gorge when you were allowed to hike there. Oxbow may have too many visitors for the elks' comfort. There always seem to be lots of deer, especially around that meadow.

Yeah hard to walk the road between the meadow and the bottom without seeing deer. Though I normally take that trail that's not on the map any more for that section

Don't tease. Which trail is that?