Passed on Highway 101: Carter Lake and its Neighbors

We considered not sharing this one. Not because it's not worth visiting, but because we would like to keep this quiet, tucked-away little place to ourselves. 

Traffic tends to speed up between the very popular Honeyman/Siltcoos and Takhenitch Lake areas. Located between Florence and Reedsport on the central coast, these destination areas draw speedboats, fishing boats, sailboats, OHVs, RVs, and toy haulers. Families gather and memories are made. We can appreciate the fast, shiny gear and the fun that people are having, but we tend to watch it all go by from the slow lane. We bring kayaks. Or a canoe. A worn, faithful brown tent and our cozy, lumpy old sleeping bags. We look for the small waters and the no-frills campgrounds. We don't even need a boat ramp.

The small lakes that dot this stretch of Highway 101 are often passed by; indeed, some seem to have been forgotten completely. Several of them can be easily glimpsed from the slow lane; Carter Lake is especially noticeable, as it is a long, thin finger of water running alongside the highway. Don't be fooled by its narrow girth, though; this slim waterway is actually 30 feet deep in some areas and is a popular fishing lake. Angling is mostly for stocked rainbow trout, but there are rumors of largemouth bass and yellow perch, as well. The Carter Lake Boat Ramp is open year-round and offers a paved boat ramp as well as bank fishing. The parking area is partially shaded. Be aware that there is no restroom at this site. At this writing there are no fees at the boat ramp, but that, as always, is subject to change.

Carter Lake Campground is nestled into the forest along the northwest edge of the lake. This is a simple campground; there is the lake to paddle in, a small swimming beach, and trails to wander. There is a strong family vibe here. Kids come to get wet and sand-covered. Adults hang out and talk or toss a casual line into the water. The highway is definitely within earshot and OHVs grumble in the distance, but the main sounds here are laughing children and the local ospreys. You will also hear a variety of songbirds, especially wrentits, chestnut-backed chickadees, and olive-sided flycatchers. Ravens and Stellar's jays add their raucous voices to the mix.

The campground is open May 1-September 30 and is available by online reservation only. This could present a problem, as there is little to no cell service here; it's definitely best to reserve ahead of time if possible. That being said, the campground is lightly used midweek and even weekend sites can be sometimes be found without too much advance planning, which is rare for a coastal campground in the summertime. There are a few sites on the lake bank; most of these are reached by short pathways and have room for one tent. The sites in the middle part of the loop are generally secluded in the trees and offer room for a small RV. The western sites are open and roomy and are best for families, full-sized RVs, and groups. These are also the most protected from the coastal north winds, which can definitely be a factor on summer afternoons. 

Look for a small, day-use parking lot at the west side of the campground loop that marks the start of the Carter Dunes Trail. This 0.7 mile trail leads you through an odd mix of dense coastal rainforest and blinding white dunes before bringing you to a wide, sandy beach (snowy plover restrictions are posted, and dogs are not allowed on this stretch of beach from March 15 - September 15). For a slightly longer trek, look to Taylor Dunes Trail, which begins closer to the highway and wanders past Taylor Lake and a dunes overlook before joining up with the Carter Dunes Trail. Another chance to see the dunes lies to the south at the Oregon Dunes Overlook, which provides accessible viewpoints out over the dunes, as well as more hiking trails (this site requires a Forest Service parking pass, as do many sites in this area). Whichever route you take, do keep your wits about you: while the trails are relatively well-worn and marked by periodic posts in the sand, it is easy to become disoriented in the dunes (and surprisingly difficult to get a GPS reading).

Elbow Lake

For those who are curious about the other lakes they can glimpse from 101, here is a brief listing. Erhart Lake (also known as Loon Lake) lies just south of the Siltcoos Recreation Area turnoff. This was once a well-stocked little trout lake with an access road off of the Siltcoos road, but now the road is closed and access to the brushy bank is pretty much limited to a fisherman's path from a pullout on 101. To our knowledge, this lake has not been stocked in a while. The aforementioned Taylor Lake lies to the north of Carter Lake. This is another fishing lake that has been left to return to nature. Access to the bank is limited; however, a low viewing platform offers a great spot for bird watching, and ospreys and eagles still fish here. Four-acre Perkins Lake is a pretty little lake which does offer trout and bass, but much of the land around it is private and parking is limited to the shoulder of 101. The best lake along this stretch is Elbow Lake, about seven miles north of Reedsport. At 12 acres and with a 25-foot depth, this lake is easily accessed from a pullout on the highway. A short, bumpy dirt road leads down to a shaded parking area by the lakeshore for those who want to hand-launch a small boat from the unimproved bank. This is a pretty lake to paddle; brushy, heavily wooded shores make Elbow look more like a mountain lake than a pond in the dunes. Fishing is mostly for stocked trout, although there are reports of largemouth bass and perch.

There is so much to do on the central-south coast that it's easy to fly right by some beautiful places. Next time you're on your way from somewhere to somewhere else, consider spending a little time in the slow lane. Discover the smaller waters, the less-trodden trails, and the rainforest thickets where the birds sing. Perhaps we will be there in our old, brown tent.

 

Carter Lake

Taylor Dunes Trail

Taylor Lake

Beach Strawberries

Carter Dunes Trial

Erhart/Loon Lake

Oregon Dunes Overlook

Elbow Lake

A Winter Warmup: The E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area

We find some interesting places during our winter explorations.

This one is an expansive wildlife area that also allows hunting, and even offers shotgun and archery ranges. There is an accessible fishing pond. There are miles of trails, which are actually the roads from what was once Oregon's second largest city, which was a military encampment. There are also peacocks.

This is the E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area, which came into being in 1950 when the US Government gave 1,788 acres of Camp Adair to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. So where did Camp Adair go?

Once upon a time, there was a small Willamette Valley town known as Wells. It was 1941, there was a war on, and the US was being pulled into it. Search was made for 55,000 acres to build a military training camp, and a plot north of Corvallis was chosen. The town of Wells vanished, and during the summer of 1942 1,800 buildings were constructed. Camp Adair had churches, theaters, clubs, stores, a bank, a bakery, and a hospital. Its population reached 35,000 at its peak, making it the second largest city in Oregon at the time. Four infantry divisions trained at this cantonment, which was infamous among the soldiers for its marshy ground and its plentiful poison oak.

In 1944, with training activities winding down, German and Italian prisoners of war were brought in briefly. Then the US Navy used the hospital in 1945 and 1946 to treat the wounded, and it was later used for housing for Oregon State students. The Air Force maintained a station at Camp Adair from 1958-1969, but for the most part things were over for the camp. As the 1940s wound down, the buildings were sold off, whole or in parts, as surplus. OSU maintains a section of the land as part of the Dunn Forest. A few of the old buildings still stand in the little town of Adair Village, which stands near the former site of the hospital. But in the wildlife area, traces of Camp Adair abound in marshy meadows where nature is retaking the landscape.

To find E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area, drive Highway 99W 10 miles north of Corvallis and turn east on Camp Adair Road. The only downside of this refuge is that it is one of 15 wildlife areas in Oregon that require a Parking permit; at this writing the permit is $10 for one day or $30 for a year. Purchase the permit online, as they are not sold at the parking lots.

Arriving at E. E. Wilson, you will first see an excellent archery range on your left; here you will find a covered shooting area, a youth area, and targets from 10 to 100 yards for all skill levels. There is also a newly expanded shotgun range across the road with a covered picnic area and 12 shooting stations; these are for shotguns only with non-toxic shot. 

You will notice that E.E. Wilson is not a fancy facility; expect gravel parking lots, minimal signage, and a whatever-suits-you vibe. Restrooms are few and far between; we did notice them at the fishing pond and the archery range, though.

Pass the area headquarters and watch on your left for a parking lot. Here you will find a kiosk with a bit of the history of the site, as well as cages of pheasants, and yes, peacocks. There doesn't seem to be any explanation, just pheasants and peacocks. Park here or proceed to the next parking lot on the left, marked "Angling Access," to start exploring.

Visit the ODFW site ahead of time to print out a map of the road layout, or just pick a road and wander; these are the streets from the old military town, so they are pretty much laid out in a grid. This is an excellent winter hiking area, as you can walk as much or as little as you want, and it's mostly paved! To get started, go straight north from the parking lot for a half mile to an accessible, beginner-friendly fishing pond. Open all year and stocked with trout from February to June, this popular pond offers bank and dock fishing. Across the road lies a larger, wilder pond. The trees and brush all around are full of songbirds, and raptors patrol the skies. Here in the shadow of the landfill, within earshot of 99W, deer and elk browse, beavers and river otters paddle the marshy ponds, and tree frogs creak from the treetops. Continue to wander the roads and explore, being aware of the hunting areas if it's hunting season. Look everywhere-in the bushes, in the trees, in the grassy areas-and you will find the concrete remains of Camp Adair. Sturdy foundations and a few mysterious structures still stand, but most of the buildings were constructed on low concrete posts with attached footings. These remain everywhere throughout the area; in fact, the fence along Camp Adair Road was built with them. The Adair Living History group maintains a website with more information for history buffs, and the National Park Service has an extensive article online regarding the town's layout and construction.

Explore for as long as you wish; the old streets continue on the south side of the road. Bicycles (but not E bikes) are allowed if you want to cover more of the area, and horses are allowed off of the roadways (watch for marshy areas, the remains of old foundations, and occasional metal scraps). Drive south a bit to check out the imposing smokestack where the hospital once stood and to find an occasional old building among the newer houses of modern-day Adair Village.

With so much to do here, it's worth the parking fee; bring your bike, or your horse, or a picnic, or your bow. Teach a kid to fish, spend time birdwatching, or learn about a period in history when our country pulled together to fight for freedom. But whatever you do, be sure to say hello to the peacocks.

Duck Blind

Wetland Area

Fishing Pond

Chimney of unknown origin or importance

Repeat after us: E.E. Wilson. Not E.E. Cummings. Poetry lovers will understand!