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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2018
A winter
wonderland
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
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bout a two-hour drive south from Astoria are Elk
and Kings mountains, two neighboring peaks on
a single, crescent-shaped massif in the middle of
the Tillamook State Forest.
The mountains and surrounding waterways are
crisscrossed with trails, some maintained with support
from mountaineering education nonprofit Mazamas.
Trailheads are located along state Highway 6 about
halfway between Tillamook and Forest Grove. A state-
run campground on Elk Creek Road provides creekside
camping, bathrooms and a hand-pumped water supply.
A hike up either mountain involves a steep ascent —
1,900 feet in 1 1/2 miles on Elk Mountain, and 2,500
feet in 2 1/2 miles on Kings Mountain. Although still
often covered by snow into early summer, the moun-
tains are a common primer to hikers preparing for the
Cascades, still socked in long after the Coast Range.
An up-and-down trail follows the ridge between the
two mountains. A junction in the middle gives hikers the
choice between heading toward either peak, or down
Elk Creek, a quickly descending mountain stream feed-
ing south into the Wilson River that heads west toward
Tillamook Bay.
For more information on the area, visit the
state Department of Forestry’s Forest Grove office
at 801 Gales Creek Road, or visit tinyurl.com/
ElkKingsMountains
Photos by Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian
The ridge between Elk and Kings mountains turned into a winter wonderland with snowfields covering the
ground, dustings on the trees and flurries of snowflakes in the air.
The Elk and Kings mountain trails meet on a flat
expanse along a ridge, still socked in with snow
earlier this month.
Early morning hikes up Elk Mountain can often be foggy.
The trail down to Elk Creek was still packed with
snow earlier this month.
Below the melting snow, the runoff creates a series of wa-
terfalls along the Elk Creek Trail.
Animal tracks mingle with boots on the ridge
between Elk and Kings mountains.
A light dusting of snow on top of Elk Mountain, along with patches of fog in the hills of the Tillamook State Forest, created a magical scene.