Bad Parking Situation just got worse 5/21/17

[koriwallace]

I live less than 40 minutes away from Lee Falls and went there twice last summer. I was planning to make it a go-to hike & swimming hole this summer but unfortunately the already-bad parking situation just got worse. I went there yesterday already knowing to avoid parking at the gate (which also has clear "No Parking Signs") and planned to park on one of the road shoulders the way I did last summer. Well, the locals have hung "No Parking - Violators Will Be Towed" signs EVERYWHERE - on every tree at EVERY turn-out on the road. I had stopped on a shoulder of the road, trying to figure out what to do when one of the home-owners came walking over. She said she owned the property I was currently on and if my group "promised not the trash the place" she would let me park on her property (directly underneath the "No Parking" sign) for $10. Since I was already there, I paid the $10 and did my hike. As I got down to the gate, there were 2 cars parked there. I have no idea if someone "told them they could" or not. When I finished my hike and got back to my car, there were 5 additional cars on the shoulders of the road, parked directly under the "No Parking" signs. I have no idea if they just parked there because I did or if someone told them they could or not. Lee Falls is a lovely hike and such a short drive for me. I'm really disappointed in the parking situation, which seems to have been caused by a mix of hikers "trashing the place" and locals fed up with the road being blocked. On my drive out, I saw a tow truck heading in the direction I had come from and there is no cell service back in that area. I have no idea if that towing situation is legal or not but that wouldn't change the reality of coming out of a hike to find no car and no cell service. I would happily contribute to a parking lot fund but under the current situation, I will not be going there again.

[pdxgene]

I have no clue where this is, but in any case it never hurts to check with local authorities/forest service/state parks, whoever it is in this case.
Or even look up who owns what on Google or some search site. It should be public information if you find the right place to look.

Just because someone says they own the property doesn't mean that they do. BUT.... it's definitely not the type of thing you'd want to handle personally. Leave it to the professionals.

[bobcat]

Thanks for the report. I had put this hike in the Field Guide, but I guess I'll put up some blazing red notations now. People should probably not go there for the time being although it has been a favorite summer destination for many in the area.

[klossner]

This is the trailhead described in https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guid ... _Trailhead. It already has this blazing red notation:

WARNING! DO NOT PARK at or near the gate at the beginning of the hike. Locals get VERY angry about this and cars have been keyed and smeared with animal excrement. Park up the hill in the oak forest on Lee Falls Road in one of the little pullouts, as directed above, and walk down to the gate.

I followed these instructions and had no trouble.

[bobcat]

@koriwallace is saying that the pullouts now also have No Parking signs posted above them. I had always thought the road was public property (and it gives access to public property), so I'm not sure what "rights" the landowners here have. If it is indeed a privately-maintained road, well, that's another matter.

[koriwallace]

Hi. Thanks for the comments. Yes, I had also gone previously and parked on the shoulders. Those are now covered with "No Parking" and "Violaters Will be Towed" signs nailed to the trees. I'm not sure if the local residents have a right to do this or not but they have and I personally would not want to risk my car being towed (or for that matter, getting into an argument with local residents about who owns the shoulders of the road and whether they have a right to hang the signs) so that's why I figured I'd post the warning to other hikers here. There is no where else to park so you either have to risk it or not go there. I've been considering contacting Hillsboro Water to find out who actually owns what but I just don't know if it's worth it...

[Webfoot]

Does anyone know why that road is gated to begin with?

The Washington County parcel map is annoyingly censored* making it hard to tell who owns what out there. Is the road to the north of the falls (Stimson Mainline Rd on Google maps) accessible?

*

Owner information is considered public record. However, Washington County does not provide this information to the public via our online applications. The County Administrative Office (CAO) assists the Board of Commissioners in providing overall policy direction to county programs. Question regarding County policies can be sent to [email protected]

[Lurch]

As someone who has been stuck behind gates when people park in front of them, I can vouch for how extremely irritating, frustrating, and inconsiderate it is. Glad to see you guys weren't in that herd