Opportunities for recreation in and around Philomath are available through the city and county park systems but what about state parks?
Utilizing the “Find a Park” search function on the Oregon State Parks website, the list that follows came up for the five closest to Philomath. I wouldn’t have thought of the Ellmaker State Wayside or Thompson’s Mills as state parks necessarily but they are included on the list here as sites operated by the state.
By the way, the closest national park to Philomath is Crater Lake. And one note in case William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge comes to mind — that’s operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The mileage figures were calculated to the site from Philomath City Hall.
Here then are five Oregon State Parks sites closest to Philomath:
1. Ellmaker State Wayside: 17.5 miles
Located along Highway 20 between Philomath and Newport a little more than 7 miles west of Blodgett, Ellmaker State Wayside works as a rest stop area with picnic tables and restrooms. Fruit trees can be found on the south side and the picnic tables border a grassy meadow. There is also a small stream that flows from the northeast through the fir forest to join the Tumtum River. The land was given to the state in 1961 by Harlan D. Ellmaker, who worked for the U.S. Forest Service and other governmental agencies and had lived on the property.
2. Luckiamute State Natural Area: 19.3 miles
This park northwest of Albany provides entry to the Luckiamute River for boaters and paddlers and is also enjoyed by hikers. Travelers paddling the Willamette Water Trail can camp at the boater-access-only site. Hikers can park at the North Trailhead and take the 3-mile North Unit Loop trail along a meadow and through a riparian hardwood forest of Oregon ash and bigleaf maple. On the natural area’s south parcel, visitors can view wildlife and fish at the West Pond. Oregon State Parks say the pond is an old gravel pit, but good habitat for turtles. The ponds in the park are remnants of gravel quarries used in the construction of Camp Adair during World War II.
3. Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site: 21.6 miles
Thompson’s Mills near Shedd (32655 Boston Mill Drive) is the last water-powered mill in the state and its working turbines can be seen for those who take guided tours. According to Oregon State Parks, a water right that predates statehood produces the water flow that runs the milling machines for demonstrations. The state purchased the property in 2004 from a private owner and it opened to the public three years later after safety and structural upgrades had been completed. An adjustable dam was installed in 2013 allowing the mill to have a full mill race and demonstrate milling year round while also allowing for fish passage and drainage after winter rains. See the Oregon State Parks website for information on tours.
4. Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site: 22.1 miles
Sarah Helmick State Recreation Site, located 6 miles south of Monmouth off Highway 99W, is situated along the Luckiamute River. There are two picnic areas with electricity, water and picnic tables that can accommodate large groups. Big leaf maple trees provide shade. Sara Helmick was the first state park established in Oregon. Sara Helmick and her son, James, gave 5.46 acres to the state in 1922, William and Mary Weist gave a small tract in 1948 and Peter and Maryle Larson gave another portion in 1985. In addition, the state purchased several acres that had formerly been part of the artillery range for Camp Adair. The park was named for the original donor, who with her husband, Henry, settled on a 640-acre donation land claim on the Luckiamute River in 1846.
5. Willamette River Greenway — Marshall Island Access: 34.1 miles
The Marshall Island Access area encompasses 40 acres and serves as a day-use park along the west bank of the Willamette River about 4-1/2 miles outside of Junction City. There is a primitive trail along the north end. Fishing is an option and there is a boat launch. The area is part of the Willamette River Greenway system of parks and conservation areas managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The areas were established in the 1960s and 1970s to “protect and preserve the natural, scenic, historic and recreational qualities of lands along the Willamette River,” according to Oregon State Parks. In all, the system features 5,000 acres on 90 parcels of land.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
