Umpqua National Forest Sites

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at Steamboat Creek from 1933 to 1941. It was a US Forest Service camp serving Umpqua National Forest.  The enrollees made many improvements along the North Umpqua River, including campgrounds, trails and bridges. One of the campgrounds developed by the CCC was Apple Creek along the North Umpqua River and Highway 138.  It is a small, plain campground without special features. Apple Creek Campground was closed when we visited in 2022, probably a carryover from the pandemic. The entrance sign is covered in black plastic, which may be protection against winter deterioration, but the...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), working out of the Steamboat CCC Camp under the US Forest Service built four campgrounds nearby, including Canton Creek.  The campgrounds were all built sometime between 1933 and 1941, probably earlier than later in this case. Canton Creek campground has a picnic structure, or gazebo, that looks to be CCC and remains in good condition. Unfortunately, Canton Creek campground was closed when we visited and the entrance sign rather rudely covered with a plastic garbage bag. That appears to be a carryover of the pandemic or it might be winter protection. The settlement of Steamboat has long since...

The Brice Creek Civilian Conservation (CCC) Camp was established north of Layng Creek in the Umpqua National Forest in the spring of 1933. Company #731, the first company to occupy the camp comprised of enrollees from Kansas. Later CCC workers came from Illinois and Oregon to provide support primarily to the lumber industry. As noted on the commemorative plaque located at the nearby Rujada Forest Camp: "The CCC enrollees of Camp Brice Creek planted trees and maintained roads, trails, telephone lines and buildings. They fought forest fires and built fire lookouts - Fairview Peak, Holland Point, and the still-standing, Musick Guard Station,...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the fire lookout tower on Cinnamon Butte in 1934.   Cinnamon Butte lies 5 miles north of Diamond Lake, east of highway 138, and west of the Mt Theilsen Wilderness Area. The lookout tower is 35 feet high with a 14x14 foot observation cabin, all built entirely of wood. This was a standard form and size of lookout tower.  It still stands. The CCC built several fire lookouts for the US Forest Service in Umpqua National Forest, dozens around Oregon and hundreds across the country.    

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Colliding Rivers Overlook (or Viewpoint), where the North Umpqua and Little Rivers come together. The work as presumably done in 1938, the same year the CCC constructed the Glide Ranger Station just across the road (now the Information Center for the Colliding Rivers Viewpoint). The overlook consists of a small parking area and terraces on two levels for viewing the rivers, with both a ramp and stairway between levels. There is a path to a secondary overlook that is today blocked by trees, and there is a restroom (comfort station) that appears to be...

The visitor center at Diamond Lake, across from the campground, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938. It is a typical rustic-style building of the northwest forests, with stone foundation and stairs, wood siding, and tree designs cut into the shutters. It was probably originally built as a Forest Service ranger station or office. The whole Diamond Lake recreation area was still closed for winter when we visited in May 2022.  That meant that the sign and all information panels were still covered in black plastic and we could not see if the site is marked as CCC.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at Steamboat Creek from 1933 to 1941. It was a US Forest Service camp serving Umpqua National Forest.  The enrollees made many improvements along the North Umpqua River, including campgrounds, trails and bridges. One of the campgrounds developed by the CCC was at Eagle Rock along Highway 138.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the ranger station in Glide OR at the confluence of the North Umpqua River and Little River, in 1938. The building style is wood and stone, with plank siding, a typical Forest Service rustic look. The little trees cut in the shutters are charming, and they seem to be a common feature around the National Forests and parks of the northwest. The building was refurbished and reopened as an information station in 1992. The modern North Umpqua National Forest ranger station lies just behind the CCC building.    

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at Illahee Flats, in the North Umpqua River Valley in Oregon.  We do not know the exact years the camp was active, but enrollees from this camp almost certainly built the wooden Illahee lookout tower eight miles farther up FS-4760. The gazebo across the road from Illahee Flats is not CCC; it was built in 1928, burned in 1997 and rebuilt by the US Forest Service, along with a restroom and picnic tables. The main part of Illahee Flats is empty meadow.  There is no obvious trace of the CCC camp left nor of...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at Steamboat Creek from 1933 to 1941.  The enrollees made many improvements around area in Umpqua National Forest, working under the US Forest Service, including campgrounds, trails and bridges. One of the campgrounds developed by the CCC was Island Campground along the North Umpqua River and Highway 138.  It is a small, plain campground without special features.

Mott Bridge was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935-36.  It is the one remaining wooden bridge of several the CCC constructed in the Umpqua River canyon. It was the work of enrollees from the Steamboat CCC camp at couple miles away. Bridge is all-timber construction, with a one-land roadbed supported by a wooden arch underneath.  There are pedestrian walkways on either side and drain holes to carry off the abundant rain of the region. Mott Bridge is an Oregon Civil Engineering landmark. The settlement of Steamboat has long since disappeared, but remains on the name of Steamboat Creek and the...

After the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps' (CCC) Camp Brice Creek in 1933, the enrollees undertook development of the Rujada Forest Camp. They constructed the forest camp to provide a recreation facility for visiting family, friends and local residents. CCC workers built the campground's registry and information booth in 1934. It's rustic design includes large diameter peeled logs and poles, a flagstone platform and split shake gable roof. The forest camp's current configuration provides twelve single- and three double-campsites.

There was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) on Steamboat Creek,  ~1.5 miles up Steamboat Road from Highway 138, along this tributary of the North Umpqua River.   We were not able to locate a likely site for the camp on our visit to the area in 2022. According to a plaque put up by the National Association of CCC Alumni, Region 4, at Mott Bridge just east of the river and road junction, Steamboat Camp was occupied by CCC Companies 927, 703 and 3450 from 1933 to 1941 (not 1944 as stated on the informational panel nearby, because the CCC was...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built many trails in the Umpqua National Forest, working under the US Forest Service out of several CCC camps (e.g., Steamboat, Illahee). Mention is made of these trails in some information panels around the national forest, but the only one definitely identified is a portion of the North Umpqua River trail between Steamboat and Panther Creek. We will add more information on these trails as it is uncovered.