Hunt for holiday ornaments hidden on trails in Oregon's Willamette, Umpqua national forests
Two hundred ornaments have been hidden on hiking trails throughout the Willamette and Umpqua national forests outside Salem and Eugene in what’s become an annual winter tradition led by the Willamette Valley Visitor’s Association.
The ornaments are placed on popular routes that don’t normally get a ton of snow — although after this week’s low-elevation snowstorm, plenty will at least temporarily be under a blanket of white. The trails include hikes to Tamolitch Falls, Stahlman Point and Hackleman Old Growth Trail, among 19 pathways in the Cottage Grove, Detroit, Middle Fork, Sweet Home and McKenzie River ranger districts.
The hunt kicked off Nov. 25 and lasts until Dec. 31 (or until all the ornaments are found).
A full list of hikes with ornaments can be found at willamettevalley.org/ornament/#where-to-find. Anyone who finds an ornament can register to win a grand prize that includes a two-night stay and family-friendly adventure in the Willamette Valley, according to a news release.
The visitor’s association is also encouraging people who come out to hunt the trail to look at an online itinerary “for fun activities and stops in each region." For a list of hikes, tips and adventures nearby the hikes and how to register ornaments that are found, visit willamettevalley.org/ornament.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Hunt for 200 holiday ornaments hidden on Oregon forest trails
