The Tillamook Forest Center. Photo: Chas Hundley
While the Tillamook Forest Center has yet to reopen following what was initially a temporary shuttering of its doors in the spring of 2020, the facility appears to be on track to reopen for the spring 2022 season.
The Oregon Department of Forestry put out a call for volunteers at the facility—located midway between Tillamook and Gales Creek in the Tillamook State Forest—to gear up for the coming season.
“The Center is seeking volunteer greeters, trail ambassadors, experience guides, research assistants and more,” read an October 15 social media post from ODF.
On August 31, 2021, the Oregon Department of Forestry said that the center was expected to open next in March 2022.
Those interested in volunteering can do so by visiting tillamookforestcenter.org/about_05.html, or by calling 503-815-6800.
A commuter shuttle is available from Forest Grove and Tillamook, ODF said, and some public transit exists between the city of Banks and the Tillamook Forest Center. Route information can be found online (.PDF).
When open, the center features a replica fire lookout tower, an interpretive center, a bridge that spans the Wilson River and links to the Wilson River Trail, a theater that shows programs related to the historic Tillamook Burn, and presentations surrounding the history, wildlife, and vegetation of the Tillamook State Forest.
More information can be found by visiting the Tillamook Forest Center website at tillamookforestcenter.org.
To stay up-to-date on the forest center’s plans, sign up for the center’s email list.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.