WELCOME
Walkers, joggers, cyclists, equestrians, skateboarders and other non-motorized travelers have one thing in common on the OC&E Woods Line State Trail - you are all welcome!
HISTORY
At the turn of the century, railroads were leading the growth of the West. Robert Strahorn had a dream to connect Central and Eastern Oregon with rail lines by linking Klamath Falls to Lakeview via Sprague River and Bend, Burns via Sprague River and Silver Lake. The first step in this grand plan was the OC&E, also known as the Klamath Municipal Railway. Ground breaking occurred near 3rd Street and Klamath Ave. in Klamath Falls on July 3, 1917.
Quickly a ribbon of steel stretched out toward Sprague River. Soon mills and branch lines sprang up along this new railway. The line was declared open on September 16, 1923. In 1927 the line was extended to Bly, but that would be the end of the line for Strahorn's dream.
Southern Pacific and Great Northern (later Burlington Northern) jointly operated the OC&E from 1925 until 1974. One railroad would manage the line for five years then pass responsibility to the other for five years. Weyerhaeuser took over the entire line in 1974, but by the end of the 1980s the line was not a cost-effective way to move logs. The line was railbanked and handed over to Oregon Parks and Recreation in 1992.
A CLOSE LOOK AT THE TRAIL
The trail is actually two trails-the original OC&E and the old Weyerhaeuser Woods Line that heads north from Beatty to just north of the Sycan Marsh.
The first 3.3 miles are paved, starting at Washburn Way in Klamath Falls and ending at Rt. 39. This section of the trail receives the most use as it passes by local shopping areas and through residential neighborhoods. But there is much more to explore as the trailheads east beyond Rt. 39.
East of Rt. 39, the trail passes through agricultural areas with wonderful views of surrounding mountains including Mt. Shasta to the south. The trail crosses Rt. 140 and pushes on to the town of Olene (to be paved to in 2002) and then the Poe Valley. To your right you will have a panoramic view of the Poe Valley and the Lost River.
The trail continues on to Swede's Cut. The name refers to the Swedish workers hired to carve a pass through solid rock to gain access to Pine Flat. This job required great skill at using drills and black powder, not to mention a bit of bravado.
On the other side of the Flat you will reach Dairy. There is a small tavern in town but you'll have to push on to the Dairy Siding just east of town and take that to Rt. 140 and then double back. This will be your last chance for food or water until Sprague River at mile 35. The valleys around Dairy and Bonanza were the scene of many hair-raising adventures between the Native Americans and Settlers at the time of the Modoc Indian War around 1872.
The trail heads north of Dairy to skirt around Bly Mt. via Switchback Hill. After you pass Hildebrand the trail gains 600' in about 9 miles at a 2% grade. Climb up to Switchback Hill through a large horseshoe turn that allowed the end of the train to watch the engine and lead cars passing above. When you reach the top look to the south east for a great view of the Devil's Garden." The garden is a volcanic caldera, if you have time take a side trip over to it using old logging roads. The switchback was necessary to allow the heavily laden trains to make it over the 600-foot climb. Anything over 3% grade is very difficult for a train, so to reduce the grade the tracks zigzag over steep hills. This particular set up is unique in that it is a double switch back. The long-term plan had been to replace this with a tunnel through Bly Mt.
After cresting the hill the trail descends to Sprague River. Here you will find country stores and small cafes. You are now in the Sprague River Valley with great vistas of surrounding mountains, forests and ranches. Next stop is Beatty, a small town with basic services. To reach Beatty, take Godowa Springs Rd about a mile south to Rt. 140.
Just east of Beatty, the Woods Line branch starts and heads north. The trail crosses over the Sprague River and passes by the Sycan Shops (former maintenance yard for the Woods Line). Keep and eye out for an old tipple hidden in the woods and the abandoned trestle at mile 9 that was bypassed by filling in the ravine. At mile 10 you'll reach Five-Mile Creek with its trout fishing. For the next 6 miles the creek will be your companion as it passes alongside and under the trail. At mile 19 you'll reach Horse Glade trailhead. Here you'll find a restroom and camping opportunities. From the trailhead you'll pass areas of the forest renewing itself after its first harvest. At mile 27 you'll see the most spectacular structure on the trail, the Merritt Creek Trestle, 400 feet long and 50 feet high. At present the trail ends 5 miles to the north at the Sycan Marsh, and then starts again just north of the marsh and continues four miles through the Thompson Valley to the old 500 Load Area (log loading area) just south of the Thompson Reservoir (camping, water, boating, restrooms). The U.S. Forest Service hopes to link back up with the trail north of the marsh in the future.
Back on the main trail you head east from Beatty, chugging through pastures of grazing cattle, marshy and small open water areas where one frequently sees Sandhill Cranes, Eagles, Red-tailed hawks, Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Ducks and Geese, swarms of Red-winged Black Birds, beaver, deer and other wildlife as you follow the Sprague River. The solitude and the vastness of the panorama are rich rewards for the traveler in this area. The trail ends in Bly near the South Fork of the Sprague River and just South West of the Gearhart Wilderness Area (America's least used wilderness). Bly is another small town with basic services.
The original ballast material has been removed leaving natural soil fines and any remaining ballast mixed in. The surface has been smoothed out and then compacted using a 16,000-lb. Vibrating highway roller.
We sincerely hope you will take the time to explore this great trail and discover the rewards it has to offer you. This cache marks the starting point for a small string of geocaches.