Yaquina Meander

Chitwood Bridge

 We took off for Toledo early Saturday morning for an overnighter in our Solis Pocket camping van to indulge ourselves with some cooler temperatures. We choose Highway 20 as our route, making a rest stop at Ellmaker State Wayside.  The sweet song of the Swainson's Thrush greeted us as we stepped out of the van, which prompted us to make a bird list. Seeking more birds in the woods next to the restrooms, we stumbled onto a trail that led down to the small stream of Ellmaker Creek. 

We soon ventured off the modern route of Hwy 20, and onto the old route which next took us through Eddyville where Little Elk Creek joins the Yaquina River. There the route gets interesting as the highway parallels the historic Oregon Pacific Railroad and hugs the Yaquina River on its meandering way to join the Yaquina Bay at Toledo.

Our next stop was Chitwood Bridge, a revisit of our trip in May. Conveniently it was time for lunch, so we set up our chairs in the shade with a view of this historic covered bridge across the Yaquina River.  I had a chat with the neighbor that actually owns this little viewpoint.  He maintains this out of the goodness of his heart for people to enjoy for a day visit. Overnight parking is not allowed due to past problems of trash and theft. 

We next joined the main route of Highway 20 for a short stint before turning left over the hill to reconnect with the Yaquina and the railroad. It's a gravel road. I recommend a slow pace as you continue on and eventually you will be rewarded with the hamlet of Elk City and the Elk City County Park. This is where Big Elk Creek joins the Yaquina, and at 22.5 from Yaquina Bay is I believe the head of tidewater.

Continuing along the Yaquina River, we made a stop in the shade at Cannon Quary Park and a look for birds. We had been tipped off by the Chitwood Bridge viewpoint owner that Toledo was having their Summer Festival and would be crammed.  It was a godsend because arriving at Toledo we discovered an impossible crowd.  So, it was on to Paddle Park for a little recovery stop and a bit of pondering our options for the night. We ended up at Boiler Bay State Wayside, and a quiet night except early morning thunder, lighting, wind and rain.  

Refreshed, we headed home to unpack and plan the next adventure,