Description
The Siuslaw National Forest is a very diverse and productive region extending from Tillamook to Coos Bay along the Oregon coast. The forest encompasses over 630,000 acres of unique and varying ecosystems.
The Forest is situated within the Oregon Coast Range, a mountain range that runs north to south from the Columbia River to north central California. The Siuslaw National Forest is bordered on the east by the Willamette Valley and the west by the Pacific Ocean and is one of only two national forests located in the lower 48 states to claim oceanfront property. Marys Peak, the highest peak in the Coast Range at elevation 4,097, is a prominent view west of Corvallis.
Pacific Coast Scenic Byway Highway 101 runs parallel along the west side of the Forest and the Pacific Ocean, while Highways 26, 6, 18, 22, 20, 34, 126 and 38 provide access from the Portland metro area and central and southern Willamette Valley.
Four major rivers flow out of the Siuslaw National Forest into the Pacific Ocean: the Nestucca, Alsea, Siuslaw, and Umpqua providing excellent habitat for anadromous fish. Many other smaller streams and tributaries add to the annual route salmon and steelhead take to their ancestral spawning ground.
Abundant rainfall and mild winters provide growing conditions for a variety of vegetation species. The Siuslaw's temperate rain forest, coastal influence, ocean-forest interface, relatively young Douglas-fir forest, and cultural history make it unique among all other national forests.
The Siuslaw has two distinct vegetation zones, Sitka spruce and western hemlock. The hardy Sitka spruce zone grows where the coast influence of mild temperatures, winds, and dense fog discourage other types of vegetation. Western hemlock grows well in shade beneath the dense Douglas-fire canopy. As Douglas fir matures, western hemlock takes over. Both zones contain freshwater, upland, offshore, and estuarine habitats that support a wide variety of vegetation, fish, and wildlife.
The climate of the Siuslaw is best described as a Pacific maritime with recorded rainfall of up to100 inches per year in some parts of the Forest. Temperatures are moderate, averaging in the 30' to 40's during the winter with a very occasional snowfall. Summers are warm and dry, with cooler temperatures along the coast, warming up as you travel inland. A typical summer day at the Oregon Coast ranges in the 60's with fog as a very common occurrence. People who live on the Coast often say September and October are their favorite months of the year due to dry days and warm temperatures
