Stafford Creek

This short, fun canyon is one of the best in the Oregon Coast Range. Visit in the early season to see it with good flow. Being largely south-facing, it's lovely on a warm spring day. Stafford usually becomes beginner-friendly somewhere in May-June. Late in the summer, the flow likely reduces to a trickle. A great early season creek for training and practice.

From Portland, take Hwy 6 and turn onto Larch Mountain / Drift Creek Road. Drive downhill, cross the bridge, and stay left at the junction to reach a large parking area. From here, either shuttle or hike up to the top. The classic descent route is via the eastern tributary of Stafford. ⚠️ Warning: There has been at least one reported car break-in at the lower parking area. Do not leave anything valuable—or anything that looks like it might be valuable (e.g., bags, purses, rope bags)—in plain sight. Store gear in the trunk and keep your vehicle looking empty. To reduce risk, consider parking at a pullout along Hwy 6 instead. At the upper parking pullout, look for the large metal culvert under the road. A use trail drops into the drainage from here. Stay on the north (DCR) side of the creek to bypass a minor logjam, then drop in just below it. R1 is a short walk downstream. This is the fastest route to the canyon's highlights. Park at the large grassy pullout at the switchback (as marked on the map). There’s room for several vehicles. An elk trail leads down toward the creek. If you don't have a shuttle, you can park at 45.624194, -123.418314. Follow the old logging road southeast from there to the fork, then follow it east and northeast into the creek. You'll drop in a bit upstream of R4 and the best part of the canyon. When you've finished, walk back up the road about 0.9mi past the bridge and then cut in at the old logging road/trail at 45.624433, -123.421808. It's a well-traveled trail, and leads back to the intersection (i.e., where you turned east after heading southeast from your car). While tempting, please DO NOT use the mountain bike trails. The Forest Service and bikers do not want hikers on these trails. It can be quite dangerous if bikes are coming down at speed.

Many of the anchors are intended for use at low flow. Evaluate carefully whether or not to use them when flow is high. Stafford can seriously rip during flood events. There's a bit of a creek walk before the next rappel.

Continue down the creek to the Devil's Fork of the Wilson River. Most of the year, it's possible to wade/swim across and scramble up a short trail to the highway. Hike back along the shoulder of OR-6 to your car (~5min).