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The Salmonberry Corridor follows 86 miles of the Port of Tillamook Bay Railway, passing through a remarkable Coast Range landscape of wild rivers and Oregon coastline before it ultimately ends at the town of Tillamook. For many years this railway was used to transport timber and agricultural products over the Coast Range, but a 2007 storm delivered a crippling blow that rendered the tracks useless for rail transportation. The trail still very walkable, however, and it provides relatively easy access to some beautifully rugged landscape.
This upper portion of the trail is just a short drive from Portland, and it offers both there-and-back and one-way options. Either method presents hikers with stunning canyon views along impressive trestle bridges and train tunnels (bring a headlamp!). The Salmonberry Corridor is a testament to the forces of nature, as large portions of the tracks are either mangled by washouts and landslides or are completely overgrown with trees and brush. It is often easier to abandon the track for quick detours around severely damaged areas. Make sure to watch your step as you cross the towering trestle bridges; portions have been damaged and some ties have fallen in places. If you are planning on a there-and-back trip, you will want to start on the Cochran Road end of the journey. The trail is around 6.25 miles from Cochran Road to the Beaver Slide Road crossing.
The Salmonberry Corridor is a truly unique experience, full of heights, dramatic scenery, and a sense of isolation. There are feasibility discussions currently underway between Oregon Parks and Recreation, the State Department of Forestry, the Port of Tillamook Bay, Cycle Oregon, and the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad to transform the old railway into a bicycle and pedestrian path.
Logistics + Planning
Preferable season(s)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Congestion
Low
Parking Pass
Not Required
Pros
Coastal forest. Unique tracks, trestles, and tunnels. Flat hiking.
Beautiful hike although when we arrived back at our car there was a ranger who told us we were trespassing on Port of Tillamook land. He was super nice and helpful but informed us that he goes to the trailhead every weekend to tell people to move out of the area and they are going to start citing people for trespassing soon. Apparently they are working to open parts of the trail for hikers but as of right now, the trail is closed. There are posted no trespassing signs at the trailhead and apparently the 'hike at your own risk' understanding between the Port and hikers is non existent.
Great comment Richard! I strongly agree with your sentiments. It's important to maintain these special places, which means knowing what to pack in, packing at all out, and being mindful of our impact during our time there.
Glad you enjoyed the trip! Thanks for the thoughtful insight!
The upper Salmonberry trail hike is a ‘must do’ in the sense that there is no telling how much longer portions of the defunct railway will remain.
In my opinion, the gain in popularity of the trail and very good road conditions at this point in the season have moved this hike from a status of "low congestion" to moderate.
PROS:
Current road conditions are very good. Even from Cochran Pond to Beaver Slide Road. (Also, someone spray painted BIG white arrows along the road Wheeler & Wheeler Pond roads to Beaver Slide Rd.)
The trail is pretty tame overall, with a few spots that have the potential to be dangerous. A plethora of obstacles & distractions, allowing you to make it as epically adventurous as you’d like.
CONS:
If you only stay directly on the path along the tracks, you won’t “get away from it all” (but you’ll away from it some).
We dropped a vehicle at Cochran pond and drove to a parking area on Beaver Slide road. At 7:30am there were 3 vehicles parked at Cochran Pond, and much to my surprise, by 8am, there were already 7 trucks and small SUVs parked at the bottom of Beaver Slide Rd.
We trekked east towards Cochran from tunnel #27, at the bottom of Beaver Slide Rd. We passed people on ATVs, a massive camp group, no less than 11 other hiking groups throughout the walk, met a few guys shooting' stuff in the woods, and hiked out a half garbage bag of other's trash.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Kinney Creek washout on the west end of tunnel #26 is filled with fun obstacles and an awesome view of the power of nature.
Tunnel #26 really shows the toll nature has taken on the tunnel system.
Wolf creek trestle emerges from the forest, seemingly out of nowhere, leading into tunnel #25. My favorite trestle ;-)
Around the half-way point between tunnel #25 and Big Baldwin trestle, on a small overgrown prairie, 20-30 yards north of the tracks, we stumbled upon a memorial.
NOTES (my ranty, preachy thoughts):
Please don’t attempt to burn plastics in the camp fires (haul it out).
Leave “plastic water bottles” on store shelves.
If you have the presence of mind to bring TP into the wilderness, please remember to bring a trowel to BURY it (away from water sources… and for God’s sake more than 4 feet from the trail)!!!
Take out what you bring in. If you see other’s trash, haul it out if you can.
Comments
Glad you enjoyed the trip! Thanks for the thoughtful insight!
In my opinion, the gain in popularity of the trail and very good road conditions at this point in the season have moved this hike from a status of "low congestion" to moderate.
PROS:
Current road conditions are very good. Even from Cochran Pond to Beaver Slide Road. (Also, someone spray painted BIG white arrows along the road Wheeler & Wheeler Pond roads to Beaver Slide Rd.)
The trail is pretty tame overall, with a few spots that have the potential to be dangerous. A plethora of obstacles & distractions, allowing you to make it as epically adventurous as you’d like.
CONS:
If you only stay directly on the path along the tracks, you won’t “get away from it all” (but you’ll away from it some).
We dropped a vehicle at Cochran pond and drove to a parking area on Beaver Slide road. At 7:30am there were 3 vehicles parked at Cochran Pond, and much to my surprise, by 8am, there were already 7 trucks and small SUVs parked at the bottom of Beaver Slide Rd.
We trekked east towards Cochran from tunnel #27, at the bottom of Beaver Slide Rd. We passed people on ATVs, a massive camp group, no less than 11 other hiking groups throughout the walk, met a few guys shooting' stuff in the woods, and hiked out a half garbage bag of other's trash.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Kinney Creek washout on the west end of tunnel #26 is filled with fun obstacles and an awesome view of the power of nature.
Tunnel #26 really shows the toll nature has taken on the tunnel system.
Wolf creek trestle emerges from the forest, seemingly out of nowhere, leading into tunnel #25. My favorite trestle ;-)
Around the half-way point between tunnel #25 and Big Baldwin trestle, on a small overgrown prairie, 20-30 yards north of the tracks, we stumbled upon a memorial.
NOTES (my ranty, preachy thoughts):
Please don’t attempt to burn plastics in the camp fires (haul it out).
Leave “plastic water bottles” on store shelves.
If you have the presence of mind to bring TP into the wilderness, please remember to bring a trowel to BURY it (away from water sources… and for God’s sake more than 4 feet from the trail)!!!
Take out what you bring in. If you see other’s trash, haul it out if you can.
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