Cottonwood Canyon

The main stem of the Lower John Day River— about 16 miles of it—curves through the park. Four major side canyons empty into the John Day within the park: Hay Creek Canyon, Esau Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon. More than 10,000 acres of public land surround the park. The climate is arid, with cool winters and hot summers. largely composed of grasslands, sagebrush shrubsteppe, river bottomlands and deep canyons. The highest point within the park is the Canyon Overlook area at 1,920 feet. OPRD thanks the following partners for the time, enthusiasm and funding that allowed Cottonwood Canyon State Park to become a state park: Western Rivers Conservancy, Lower John Day Conservation Work Group, City of Condon Chamber of Commerce, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Travel Oregon Rural Tourism Studio Program, Sherman County Historical Society, Gilliam County Weed Management, Sherman County Soil-Water Conservation District. 63400-9826 (7/13) This publication is available in alternative formats on request. Call 1-800-551-6949 (for the hearing impaired 1-800-735-2900). www.oregonstateparks.org Local middle-school students took part in designing a “brand” for Cottonwood Canyon State Park. This winning design was submitted by several students. 99989 Highway 206, Wasco, OR 97065 Cottonwood Canyon State Park This is a remote, open place. By design, and in spite of its vastness, Cottonwood Canyon State Park offers a recreation experience that protects the treasured roughness of the place. When its 8,000-plus acres became an Oregon State Park, public consultation reaffirmed that the rugged character of this special place should not be lost. Camping and other development is minimal. How Cottonwood Canyon will be PORTLAND CONDON J.S. Burres MORO Cottonwood Canyon State Park Cottonwood Canyon State Park RECREATION This is Cottonwood Canyon State Park. Visitors should expect an natural experience, a mirror of the landscape. The sprawling 8,000-plus acres is like everything here is larger than life. Cast your eye about, and you see a sweeping, elemental kind of beauty that both beckons and cautions. Vast, near vertical canyons cast deep, black shadows on the river below. Color is everywhere: spectacular summer skies, the burnished golds and browns of the rangelands, the silver, greens and gray of sagebrush, steppe and rocks. Tiny bright wildflowers dot the spring landscape in yellow, orange, red, purple. IT SEEMS Past and Present Hiking Columbia River basalt flows compose much of the geology of Cottonwood Canyon State Park. These famous basalts came from lavas erupting through fissures in the eastern part of the Columbia Plateau over a huge area more than 15 million years ago. Rough, old ranching roads wind through the land, reborn as trails for hikers, horseback riders and serious back country campers. The park offers miles of trails, in canyon, upland and riverside terrain. Horse trails are limited to the Gilliam County side of the river. A short interpretive trail that begins near the park’s west entrance highlights the land’s ranching past. This land has been natural grazing land for centuries. Native peoples grazed horses here hundreds of years ago. The advent of intensive modern farming and ranching, however, has changed the land. Native grasslands in some areas have been crowded out. Controlling weeds and restoring native vegetation, especially in the bottomlands and along the river, will take persistence and time. Camping The park offers 21 primitive sites, 7 hiker-biker sites, a group camping area and a restroom. Potable water is available in the campground. All sites are first come, firstserved. Check in at the information station for more info. Hunting and Fishing Populations of steelhead, catfish, carp and especially the smallmouth bass in the lower John Day attract a wide variety of anglers. The park is also open to hunting outside the developed area; check at the visitor station for information and regs from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). River Recreation Courtesy Western Rivers Conservancy, Photographer Peter Marbach. The iconic John Day River is a long, remote and relatively intact natural river system. With a free-flowing (undammed) length of 252 miles, the John Day is the longest such reach of river in the Northwest. Wild and Natural Boating the river is popular by raft, kayak, canoe, or driftboat. Visitors may launch at J.S. Burres day-use area, on the south side of the river, just off highway 206. Most commercial outfitters paddle from Clarno to the Cottonwood Bridge. Wildlife abounds. The area boasts the largest herd of California bighorn sheep in Oregon, and the lower John Day River offers one of the best wild spring and fall Chinook runs in northeast Oregon. Visitors could see Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, white-tailed jackrabbit, and all manner of smaller mammals. Courtesy Western River Conservancy, photographer Peter Marbach Water levels fluctuate more than most rivers; peak flows are usually March-May. The boating season varies. During low flow years, the season can end as early as mid-June. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has added a new boater special recreation permit fee for the John Day River between Service Creek and Tumwater Falls from May 20July 10. Please obtain a permit at www.blm.gov/or/permit. Both migratory and resident bird populations are a treat, especially for raptor lovers: northern harrier, Swainson’s hawk, rough-legged hawk, red-tailed hawk, prairie falcon, merlin, American kestrel, Golden and bald eagles have all soared here. Summer visitors include the lazuli bunting, Bullock’s oriole, the tri-colored blackbird, a colony of white-throated swifts, the yellow warbler and several species of sparrow. Upland game birds include the chukar, gray partridge, California quail, and ring-necked pheasant. The rocky landscape invites reptiles, such as the western rattlesnake, various non-venomous snakes, as well as at least six species of lizards. The river and bottomlands are host to frogs, toads and waterfowl. May and early June is the best time, generally, to see wildflowers. Balsamroots with their big, showy, sunflower-like flowers, and monkey flowers bloom in early May. The sagebrush blooms in October. OPRD thanks the following partners for the time, enthusiasm and funding that allowed Cottonwood Canyon State Park to become a state park: Western Rivers Conservancy, Lower John Day Conservation Work Group, City of Condon Chamber of Commerce, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Travel Oregon Rural Tourism Studio Program, Sherman County Historical Society, Gilliam County Weed Management, Sherman County Soil-Water Conservation District. 63400-9826 (7/13) This publication is available in alternative formats on request. Call 1-800-551-6949 (for the hearing impaired 1-800-735-2900). www.oregonstateparks.org Local middle-school students took part in designing a “brand” for Cottonwood Canyon State Park. This winning design was submitted by several students. This is a remote, open place. By design, and in spite of its vastness, Cottonwood Canyon State Park offers a recreation experience that protects the treasured roughness of the place. When its 8,000-plus acres became an Oregon State Park, public consultation reaffirmed that the rugged character of this special place should not be lost. Camping and other development is minimal. largely composed of grasslands, sagebrush shrubsteppe, river bottomlands and deep canyons. The highest point within the park is the Canyon Overlook area at 1,920 feet. How Cottonwood Canyon will be PORTLAND CONDON J.S. Burres MORO Cottonwood Canyon State Park Cottonwood Canyon State Park Columbia River basalt flows compose much of the geology of Cottonwood Canyon State Park. These famous basalts came from lavas erupting through fissures in the eastern part of the Columbia Plateau over a huge area more than 15 million years ago. Rough, old ranching roads wind through the land, reborn as trails for hikers, horseback riders and serious back country campers. The park offers miles of trails, in canyon, upland and riverside terrain. Horse trails are limited to the Gilliam County side of the river. A short interpretive trail that begins near the park’s west entrance highlights the land’s ranching past. IT SEEMS Cottonwood Canyon State Park The main stem of the Lower John Day River— about 16 miles of it—curves through the park. Four major side canyons empty into the John Day within the park: Hay Creek Canyon, Esau Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon. More than 10,000 acres of public land surround the park. The climate is arid, with cool winters and hot summers. Hiking like everything here is larger than life. Cast your eye about, and you see a sweeping, elemental kind of beauty that both beckons and cautions. Vast, near vertical canyons cast deep, black shadows on the river below. Color is everywhere: spectacular summer skies, the burnished golds and browns of the rangelands, the silver, greens and gray of sagebrush, steppe and rocks. Tiny bright wildflowers dot the spring landscape in yellow, orange, red, purple. 99989 Highway 206, Wasco, OR 97065 Past and Present This is Cottonwood Canyon State Park. Visitors should expect an natural experience, a mirror of the landscape. The sprawling 8,000-plus acres is RECREATION This land has been natural grazing land for centuries. Native peoples grazed horses here hundreds of years ago. The advent of intensive modern farming and ranching, however, has changed the land. Native grasslands in some areas have been crowded out. Controlling weeds and restoring native vegetation, especially in the bottomlands and along the river, will take persistence and time. Camping The park offers 21 primitive sites, 7 hiker-biker sites, a group camping area and a restroom. Potable water is available in the campground. All sites are first come, firstserved. Check in at the information station for more info. Hunting and Fishing Populations of steelhead, catfish, carp and especially the smallmouth bass in the lower John Day attract a wide variety of anglers. The park is also open to hunting outside the developed area; check at the visitor station for information and regs from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). River Recreation Courtesy Western Rivers Conservancy, Photographer Peter Marbach. The iconic John Day River is a long, remote and relatively intact natural river system. With a free-flowing (undammed) length of 252 miles, the John Day is the longest such reach of river in the Northwest. Water levels fluctuate more than most rivers; peak flows are usually March-May. The boating season varies. During low flow years, the season can end as early as mid-June. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has added a new boater special recreation permit fee for the John Day River between Service Creek and Tumwater Falls from May 20July 10. Please obtain a permit at www.blm.gov/or/permit. Courtesy Western River Conservancy, photographer Peter Marbach Boating the river is popular by raft, kayak, canoe, or driftboat. Visitors may launch at J.S. Burres day-use area, on the south side of the river, just off highway 206. Most commercial outfitters paddle from Clarno to the Cottonwood Bridge. Wild and Natural Wildlife abounds. The area boasts the largest herd of California bighorn sheep in Oregon, and the lower John Day River offers one of the best wild spring and fall Chinook runs in northeast Oregon. Visitors could see Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, white-tailed jackrabbit, and all manner of smaller mammals. Both migratory and resident bird populations are a treat, especially for raptor lovers: northern harrier, Swainson’s hawk, rough-legged hawk, red-tailed hawk, prairie falcon, merlin, American kestrel, Golden and bald eagles have all soared here. Summer visitors include the lazuli bunting, Bullock’s oriole, the tri-colored blackbird, a colony of white-throated swifts, the yellow warbler and several species of sparrow. Upland game birds include the chukar, gray partridge, California quail, and ring-necked pheasant. The rocky landscape invites reptiles, such as the western rattlesnake, various non-venomous snakes, as well as at least six species of lizards. The river and bottomlands are host to frogs, toads and waterfowl. May and early June is the best time, generally, to see wildflowers. Balsamroots with their big, showy, sunflower-like flowers, and monkey flowers bloom in early May. The sagebrush blooms in October. Drinkard Rd Base Line Rd  29 Starvation Ln 30 33 Day R iv e r H John 32 AY To Wasco 12 miles Private Property C 31 RE 34 Inset, below right EK Park Headquarters See enlarged Campground map ) orra l Trai l (4.3 mile s) inter Devils Butte Rd ESA canyon 43 in W tC wood 42 Closed-future phase 36 Lo s L W ow ild er er Jo ne h ss n D St ay ud R y ive Ar r ea 44 46 Colorful lichen on craggy rocks are part of the subtle beauty of the park. Cl os ed on 41 Closed-future phase U canyon D tt J H n oh er o to S ard Riv ay Closedfuture phase C .5 l (1 i Tra ne 40 Pi nn ac les Tra il ( 4.3 mi les 37 on ) es mil 35 38 Lone Tree Campground J.S. Burres Day-use ny 39 ca Visitor Information Cliff swallow nests are both eerie and compelling. U 206 47 Lone Tree Tree Lone Campground Campground Area of Detail p ! 49 tTerp apil e(0T . ra 4 mi les ) N There is no cell phone coverage at the park, including the campground, day use area and river trails. Do not rely on cell phone service for emergency communications. Campground fires are banned from June 1st to September 30th each year. Wildfires can move quickly and unpredictably; strong winds buffet the park, especially in the summer. If you think there is a fire, leave the area immediately, and call 911. Smart things to carry on a hike: water, a hat, first aid kit, large bandanna, knife, flashlight, matches. The closest source of potable water is in the campground/day-use area. Always wear solid hiking boots or shoes. Check the information station for latest information about wildlife, river conditions, fire danger and more. Restroom Rattlesnakes live here. Leave them alone; they will not bite unless threatened. Watch where you walk, and learn to look around obstacles before you step over them. If you are bitten by any kind of snake, assume it is venomous and get to a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible. Ticks are a fact of life here. They’re most active in spring and early summer, and find their way to you in long grass and brush. The best defense is vigilance, and simple avoidance. Recreation Area Paved Road Gravel Road ADA Vault Toilet Trail Parking Oregon Parks and Recreation Department ADA Parking Information Station Potable Water Park Maintenance Area v ! Oregon Department of State Lands Bureau of Land Management ADA Picnic Shelter Trailhead Group Camping Hiking Trail Hiker-Biker Camping Horse Trail Boat Ramp Shade Structure ! c i ! ] Barn ! Barn Trail ADA Restroom Flats river, away from dry vegetation, and elevate the firepan on rocks to prevent fire scars. Burn wood brought from home, charcoal, driftwood, or dead and downed vegetation. Standing vegetation, either dead or alive, may not be cut or gathered. All campfire residue must be carried out of the canyon. W Think ahead. Have a plan, and tell someone about it. Stop at the information station and record your planned return time, especially if you are hiking alone. Important note: documenting your plan does not mean that Oregon State Parks is monitoring your trip. This is “passive” documentation only. i ! Willow To Condon 19 miles Things To Know to Stay Safe Back country fire closure: Due to high fire danger, the John Day River corridor, including Cottonwood Canyon State Park, is closed to all campfires and charcoal fires from June 1 through September 30 each year. Propane and white gas stoves and shielded lanterns are permitted. Smoking is permitted only in a closed vehicle, while standing in the water, or while in a boat on the water. Using or possessing fireworks is prohibited at all times. Firepans: Ground fires and rock fire rings are not permitted. Fires and ash must be completely contained in a metal firepan with sides at least two inches high. 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