Explore the Best of Westfir
The Office Covered Bridge in Westfir, Oregon. Photo courtesy of Joe Potoczak
Tucked between the weathered tops of the Old Cascades, the iconic red siding of the Office Covered Bridge stands in stark contrast to the deep greens on the mountainsides rising around it. The bridge marks the unofficial though striking heart of the city of Westfir. In each direction, thousands of acres of the Willamette National Forest stretch over the mountains and up the streams. North of the bridge, Buckhead, Tire, and Saddleblanket Mountains step their way up to 5000 feet. While running underneath, you’ll find the free-flowing water on the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, or what anyone in Westfir simply calls the North Fork. The city of 265 sprouted one hundred years ago for the value of the forest, and that remains — though the interest has vastly changed. Today, outdoor enthusiasts revel in the recreation surrounding the town. Thanks to singletrack trails for hiking or riding, and a stream packed with wild trout and whitewater, Westfir offers every spring, summer, and fall activity the Cascades can conjure into one place. These are just the beginnings of why Westfir is the ideal destination for a family or group of friends to make basecamp in the community just a 40-minute drive from Eugene’s city center.
Hit The Dirt At The Portal Park Trail Network
Photo courtesy of Joe Potoczak
When it comes to trails, Portal Park is Westfir’s hub. The trail network here stretches tens of miles into the Willamette National Forest in each direction, with potential for hiking, biking, and running. And for those not looking to go far, the trailhead even offers 18 holes of disc golf. For hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers seeking a cross-country ride, the North Fork Trail is a Pacific Northwest treat. The out-and-back singletrack follows along the namesake river. Its picturesque bench cuts cling along the gorge as it wraps around Douglas fir and hemlock draped in stringy beards of lichen. The North Fork Trail is accessible to most abilities of users and an excellent option for families, while having enough technicality for everyone to find exciting. As the trail rolls along the riverside, it crosses over small creeks and passes pull-offs to get near the river to soak your toes. This major section of the North Fork Trail ends at the junction with National Forest Road 1912, where most trail users will turn back for a 10-mile round trip.
Following those unimproved forest roads uphill, you’ll find the Alpine Trail network, famous for its backcountry mountain biking. The Alpine Trail weaves 14 miles, as it descends nearly 5,000 feet back to Portal Park. Alpine is like a rollercoaster ride on two wheels and offers connections throughout the trail network. Riders can find their way to the lesser-traveled Tire Mountain or Cloverpatch trails. The most ambitious mountain bikers even go out for a massive day connecting the dots between each on a 24-mile ride concisely called the ATCA (Alpine-Tire Mountain-Cloverpatch-Alpine).
Most bikers seeking pleasure over pain, use the shuttle services available next to the Office Covered Bridge to take them to the top, including TransCascadia and Cascade Outdoor Center. When the ride does come to an end, refreshments await at the outfitters right at your vehicle.
The multi-use trails on these ridges aren’t just for mountain bikers though. The Tire Mountain Trail is a hiker’s dream as it heads west for 4 miles out away from the main thoroughfare. Hikers leave the hemlocks and open into mountain meadows splashed with the palette of spring wildflowers as lupine, paintbrush, and sea blush blanket the terrain. From the best vantage points on Tire Mountain hikers are afforded views of Diamond Peak and the Three Sisters capped with snow, melting in the warming months to make way into the watersheds below.
Get Into the Flow On The North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River
Photo courtesy of the City of Westfir
To discuss activities in Westfir, you have to include the river artery flowing through its center.
The North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River is more than the longest name for a stream in Oregon. It’s the beginning of one of the state’s most valued waterways and a Wild and Scenic River. The North Fork forms in the High Cascades as it makes its escape from Waldo Lake. It flows for 43 miles, tumbling downhill as it cuts into the West Cascades and passes through Westfir before joining the Middle Fork of the Willamette River just a mile downstream of the Office Covered Bridge.
For whitewater paddlers, the North Fork offers some of the highest-quality rapids in the state. Its upper reaches are renowned for advanced paddling up to class-V. But beginning just eight and a half miles upstream from Westfir, and flowing back toward town, is one of the finest class-III runs around for kayaking or rafting. The whitewater is accessible since it’s paralleled by National Forest Road 19. Though you’ll soon forget it’s there as the river itself feels wild churning around moss-covered boulders. Seasons of high water make the class-III section from the NF-19 bridge crossing the river to Westfir into a non-stop roller coaster. But as the rainy season subsides and the river begins to drop, the pace of the rapids slows, and paddlers will enjoy the emerald pools between the river’s ledges.
The North Fork also happens to be one of few rivers in Western Oregon managed as a wild trout fishery. Translation, for fly-fishing, the North Fork is as pure as it gets. The cool river water coming out of Waldo Lake is home to wild rainbows, and the only way anglers are permitted to get after them is with barbless flies.
Anglers will find numerous pull-off parking areas along NF-19 where you can gain access and wade the river. But an even better way for a family to enjoy fly fishing here is by using one of the bridges crossing the stream to gain access to the North Fork Trail. The trail offers numerous spots where you can walk down to cast a fly in boulder-choked pocket water and deep pools with trout slurping the surface. The trail also provides a great secondary activity to enjoy while on a family fly-fishing outing.
Where to Stay and Services to Visit in Westfir
Photo courtesy of the City of Westfir
The 100-year-old building the Westfir Lodge calls home is as equal a fixture to town as the Office Covered Bridge across the street. The lodge was originally built as the administrative building for the Western Lumber Company, and plenty of that history remains inside, including a massive iron vault.
Today the Westfir Lodge serves as a bed and breakfast fit for adventure. That’s because the Westfir Lodge is also home to the Cascades Outdoor Center, offering shuttles on the surrounding trails, guided whitewater rafting on the nearby Middle Fork of the Willamette, and kayaking on nearby lakes. Whether you are staying the night or just returned from a guided river trip, the patio at Westfir Lodge also offers a satisfying end to your day with cold beverages in hand and a fire to warm by.
For mountain bikers, the trails around Westfir are enjoyed to their full potential with the help of a shuttle or guided ride. Trans Cascadia Excursions offers both depending on the experience you are after. For riders inclined to enjoy the path of self-discovery the outfitter is happy to drive you and your bike to top of trail networks like Alpine. However, for a full immersion in understanding the trails of Westfir, opt for a day with their guides.
For RV travelers visiting Westfir, you won’t find better waterfront accommodations than Casey’s Riverside RV Park. Casey’s sits at the confluence of the North Fork of the Middle Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette, with 2,000 feet of riffles accessible to anglers right from their sites. Casey’s has more than 50 full-hookup sites and amenities, including WiFi and laundry. Not to mention two vacation rentals if you are rolling in without a rig. The Portal Park trailhead is a quick drive from Casey’s, and the RV park also helps guests coordinate with the Cascade Outdoor Center for activities, like bikers and rafters setting out to enjoy the best of Westfir.