Shellburg Falls Recreation Area reopens four years after wildfires

MARION COUNTY, Ore. — Four years since the 2020 Labor Day wildfires destroyed multiple homes, as well as many beloved Oregon outdoor spaces, such as the Santiam State Forest. The recovery process is still ongoing, and this week's "Let's Get Out There" leads to the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area.  

On May 17, the Oregon Department of Forestry reopened the area, thanks to a team effort from volunteers and nonprofit organizations.

“It's a luxury having this in the backyard,” said Jeff Watson, referring to the Santiam State Forest. “Being out in the woods… it's worth the effort.”

Watson resides in Lyons, Oregon, but he might as well live on his bike. He’s enjoyed the mountain biking trails around Santiam Canyon and Shellburg Falls Recreation Area for about 20 years.

“The minute I get out here, mood lifts and stresses go away,” he said.

It’s been a few years since the Labor Day wildfires of 2020 roared through the area, destroying more than just forest. Watson lost his home to the flames.

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“Losing my place and seeing some of my favorite spots, not the same as they used to be," said Watson. "So just trying to find the silver lining in that.”

After tireless efforts by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), volunteers and partner organizations the Shellburg Falls Recreation Area reopened mid-May.

“Just about all of our recreation infrastructure and … about half of the forest acreage itself was burned or impacted by fires in some way,” said ODF Recreation Manager Joe Offer.

RELATED: Oregon working to reimburse families whose homes were destroyed in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires

“Just seeing this area in use and seeing that people are here loving it — that's why I work in recreation, and why I've kind of geared my life towards this direction,” Offer said.

The reminders from the fires are obvious, but so is nature’s regrowth. For those who visited the Shellburg Falls area before the fires, they’ll notice some changes to the landscape and the trail.

You used to be able to walk behind the falls, but that section of trail is now closed because of safety concerns. Signage is in place to protect visitors. Future plans include a bridge at the bottom of Shellburg Falls to connect two out-and-back trails into a loop. The picnic shelter at the day use area dodged the fires and is still standing.

Along with seven miles of hiking trails, there are five miles of designated mountain biking trails. When Watson comes out here to ride, he’s able to clear his mind; seeing the area reopen helps life roll on.

“What I’ve found in this canyon (is) that most of us want to talk about it,” he said. “It's a way for us to continue to process, get stuff out if there's wounds there.”

Offer credits Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO), Cascadia Trail Crew and the Salem Area Trail Alliance for the work they did to help get the area back open. TKO volunteers moved over 100 tons of rocks and installed a new bridge on the Shellburg Falls Trail.

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“A lot of the reason why anyone lives in Oregon — there's a lot of reasons — but probably the number one reason is what we do have around us here,” said Offer.

"Let's Get Out There" airs once a week on KGW's 4 p.m. newscast and "The Good Stuff," which airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. We're including viewer photos for this series. You can text your photos to 503-226-5088 or post them on the KGW Facebook page.