East Fork ZigZag Creek

A tributary of the Wilson River, located on the west side of the Oregon Coast Range near Tillamook. While you have to work for it a bit (expect significant bushwhacking), East Zigzag is a surprisingly nice canyon outing with beautiful cascades and quality rappels. If an alternate exit could be found, this would easily be a four-star canyon destination (for the Coast Range).

From the parking area, walk down the short spur road to its end, then plunge off the north side of the ridge. The going is exceedingly brushy at first, but stick with it, overcome your skepticism & self-doubt, and it soon opens up (okay, relatively). Cross a couple of overgrown road grades and, eventually, drop into the creek wherever is easiest. The upper drainage was brushy with a number of fallen logs. Head downstream a short distance to R1.

A short walk to the next rappel.

The last 0.25mi of the described exit is on private land. Future teams should endeavor to find a better way out. From the bottom of the final falls, head downstream a short distance, then jump up DCL onto an old road grade. Follow human (waterfall hunter?) and elk trails south about 0.35mi until the grade ends and you have to re-enter the creek. Head downstream wherever is easiest for the next 0.4mi. Occasionally, you may find faint trails crisscrossing the creek. At about 0.75mi from the final falls, the southern east fork of Zigzag Creek enters. From here, it's a final 0.5mi to Hwy 6 following an old road grade.