I placed this cache while camping at Iron
Creek Campground. The image above is a panoramic stitched
image of about 10 pictures right near the cache site.
The full 1.5 mile loop trail is well worth
the hike, and not difficult at all; I had the full crew with me as
we did the entire loop, down to the 4 year old. If you aren't
camping here, you can park at the day use picnic area and pick up
the loop trail there. I'd follow it away from the river first so
that you can see both the old growth forest and the river before
finding the cache. There's some 300 foot tall, 600 year old Douglas
Firs to see, as well as excellent views of the Cispus River along
half of the loop.
The campground is also wonderful. We have a
travel trailer, and nearly all the 90+ campsites would accommodate
our 23' trailer and 19' Excursion. The sites are generally large
and private. The water is drinkable, but there are no RV hookups,
no showers, and only outhouses, but that's the tradeoff for
privacy, I think.
Want to know more about the history of
this spot, and why I chose it (and the name Yuyutla)? Go to
these coordinates and read all about it:
N46 25.946
W121 59.012
Note that this sign is no longer here, due to wind blown damage.
Perhaps it might be replaced in the future. There were excavations
in this site, dating native american artifacts back over 900 years,
and there is an oral tradition that a spot along the cispus river
that was a settlement was called Yuyutla. The conjecture is that
this site, given the dating on the artifacts, is that spot.
While you're in the area, be sure to visit
Iron Creek Falls; it's about 10 miles up Forest Road 25 from the
Campground, and well worth the 10 mile drive. Here's another
stitched image from that location.
