After hiking the White River Falls trail, we drove 49 miles to Cottonwood Canyon SP which opened in September 2013 and with its 8000 plus acres it is Oregon's second largest state park. It is located in a remote area along the John Day River. The road to the park from Wasco passes through a wind farm which provides a very surreal landscape with its many, many wind mills which seem to go for miles and miles! Lone Tree CG has 21 primitive sites with water available. The sites are large and suitable for small trailers. There are 7 hiker/biker campsites. Since we were here last they have built 4 cabins which have propane grills and a mini fridge. There are 2 outhouses near the Pinnacle Trail TH and the CG. Flush toilets and free showers are available in another area for campers.
We hiked the Pinnacles Trail which follows the Lower John Day River on a fairly wide and flat trail. Beautiful basalt rock columns can be seen on the desert hillsides on the non-river side. There is an area where many cliff swallow nests can be seen. Signs at the beginning of the trail tell you to watch for rattle snakes and to carry 20 oz of liquid per hour per person in the summer. Spring, fall and winter would seem be the best times to visit because of the high summer heat! This trail is open to hikers and bikers. There is a trail along the other side of the river which allows horses. We saw 2 groups of big horn sheep for a total of about 20! They were fun to watch. About 8 in the second group near the start of the Lower Walnut Tree Trail started to head down the rocks and may have been wanting to get to the river for a drink. The trail is closed at 3 miles from 2-1 until 8-1 for nesting golden eagles. This is truly a remote and beautiful area to visit. There is no fee for day use and no cell service. After our hike we returned to our campsite at Maryhill SP which was 25 1/2 miles away! This completed a loop for a very scenic and fun day!
The link below gives more detailed information about the park.
Comments
Anna Roth on Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Oh my gosh, look at that little baby in the last photo! This looks like it was a lovely, sunny outing. :)
Posted by:
Anna Roth on Mar 01, 2021 10:39 AM
Bob and Barb on Cottonwood Canyon State Park
It was a very enjoyable outing and meander in a beautiful area!
Posted by:
Bob and Barb on Mar 01, 2021 04:40 PM