Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oct 7-8

[kelkev]

Love the rattlesnake photo! I had a similar encounter with one on the Alder Springs Trail near Whychus Creek and the Deschutes River.....but I didn't stick around to take a photo, kudos to you for snapping the photo....I was overcome with snake-fear!

[vibramhead]

Ah, yes, the ubiquitous puncture vine or tackweed! (It has many other names, some not suitable for a family site.) The bane of dogs, bicycle tires and bare feet all over eastern WA and OR. One of the more noxious of noxious weeds!

Thanks for the ID, Granny! And here's what the burrs look like:

[raftingdog]

thanks for report.... I may just sleep in car... not comfortable but out of wind....Cottonwood Bridge is takeout for a 5 day 70 mile raft trip offered by Ouzel Raft outfitters in April May .... great time....John Day River canyons are spectacular and little used though close to Portland,.......spring time river is big wide and friendly for rafts and inflatable kayaks.......State of Oregon adds a new state park every year this one is got me excited....there is wild run of steel head in Nov ..no hatcheries

[dirt farmer]

I'm curious about the campground. I'd like to do some car camping there. That photo shows a tent on what looks to be gravel. What is the area like surrounding the gravel? Is it just hard packed dirt and mown-over sagebrush? Is there decent spaciousness between you and your neighbor?

[vibramhead]

I'm curious about the campground. I'd like to do some car camping there. That photo shows a tent on what looks to be gravel. What is the area like surrounding the gravel? Is it just hard packed dirt and mown-over sagebrush? Is there decent spaciousness between you and your neighbor?

Yes, that's my tent on the gravel. I pitched it there because of the tackweed burrs in the dirt. And yes, aside from the gravel, it's just dirt and mown-over sagebrush. In fact, while I was there, a tractor was tilling the area nearby, I assume as part of a weed control/native plant restoration effort. The dirt wasn't really hard-packed, but it's definitely a good idea to have a stake hammer. It's soft on top but much harder a few inches down. After I got set up at my site, I discovered that some other sites had tent pads scraped clean in the dirt, where presumably you'd find fewer burrs. There's a fair amount of space between the sites.

There's also a "hiker-biker" walk-in section, which is just an area on the edge, on a bench about 10 feet higher than the rest of the campground. The sites are only about 50 feet from where you park, and they're closer together than the regular sites. In other words, these hiker-biker sites aren't like the ones you find at other campgrounds, where the attraction is more quiet and privacy.

[bobcat]

The canyon looks pretty in the fall. I hiked up the east side in the spring. Should be in late summer or fall you can ford the river and make a loop; maybe with recent storms the waters were too high, though.

[vibramhead]

The canyon looks pretty in the fall. I hiked up the east side in the spring. Should be in late summer or fall you can ford the river and make a loop; maybe with recent storms the waters were too high, though.

Yes, I'd been wondering whether I might be able to do that, but the water was definitely too high.

[BrianEdwards]

At the end of summer / early fall, the river is generally at its lowest, too low to raft many stretches of it. Easily forded. This year we had the wettest September ever, so take the current levels as an exception.

[dspangler]

I happen to have the lucky job of being the Ranger out at Cottonwood so hopefully I can answer the backpacking question.

Yes, backpacking is allowed. We have not set-up any formal system but we do ask that you camp at least two miles upriver. Hiking in from JS Burres on the Gilliam side downriver--to me--is best since you have can hike into Esau canyon which is four and half miles. From Esau there are several old jeep roads to explore plus some wonderful off trail hikes.

We are in the process of developing the trail system with BLM and we will be having a public hearing in regards to the planned trail system in the spring/summer. As part of this process we may create a more formal back country system.

If you are willing to spend a little time off trail there is lots to explore.

And yes the puncture vine is the bane of Cottonwood. That and the ticks. And the rattlesnakes. And the heat. Otherwise, it's great!

Any updates on the trail system will be posted at:
cottonwoodcanyon.wordpress.com

Thanks

[vibramhead]

Thanks, Ranger Spangler!