From I-5 North or South bound
- From I-5 Take Exit 253 for Hwy 22 (Stayton/Detroit).
- Go East on Hwy 22 for 22 miles or approximately 25 min.
- After roughly 22 miles you will see the Swiss Village Restaurant on the right hand side of the road.
- Turn LEFT (North) at the Swiss Village Restaurant onto the North Fork Rd. There will be a brown sign for the Elkhorn Valley Rec Area.
- After 14 miles of pavement you will enter the Willamette National Forest and the road turns to gravel. You are now on Forest Road 2209.
- After approx 1.5 -2 miles you will come to a fork in the road. Stay to the left on Forest Road 2209.
- Continue another 4 miles to the Opal Creek/Jawbone parking area and trail head.
From Bend, Hwy 97 or Hwy 20
- From either of these highways, make your way to Hwy 22 West.
- Follow Hwy 22 West to Gates, OR. It is approx. 96 miles from Sisters, OR to Gates.
- Approx 11 miles past gates you will see the Swiss Village Restaurant on the left hand side of the road.
- Turn Right (North) at the Swiss Village Restaurant onto the North Fork Rd. There will be a brown sign for the Elkhorn Valley Rec Area.
- After 14 miles of pavement you will enter the Willamette National Forest and the road turns to gravel. You are now on Forest Road 2209.
- After approx 1.5 -2 miles you will come to a fork in the road. Stay to the left on Forest Road 2209.
- Continue another 4 miles to the Opal Creek/Jawbone parking area and trail head.
Alternate Directions During Summer Months Only:
- Coming West on Hwy 22, you’ll enter the town of Gates.
- Turn North (right) onto Gates Hill Road, which is located across from the Gates General Store in Gates, OR.
- Gates Hill Rd is a paved and approx 3-mile road that lets out on North Fork road, approximately 9 miles up (near Elkhorn Golf Course).
- Turn right onto the North Fork Road.
- Please note: Gates Hill road is 16% grade both up and down, and is not maintained in the winter. Please drive with extra caution when using this road.
Permits/Fees
All visitors to Opal Creek need a Trail Park permit to park at the trailhead. The permits cost $5/car for a one-day pass or $30 for a full-year pass. Full-year passes are available at most Forest Service offices and outdoor stores, and you can pay per day from a self-serve pay station (cash or check only) at the trailhead. To find online retailers of the Northwest Forest Pass, visit the Forest Services website, here.
Maps
Google Maps has this aerial view of the area around the trail head and Jawbone Flats. Link, here.
Or, purchase a Forest Service map that covers the Opal Creek Wilderness and Scenic Recreation Area, Bull of the Woods Wilderness, and Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. We also sell these maps at our Jawbone Company Store (hours vary).
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[...] trip 93.8 miles from Portland. Here is the route from the Google site. I recommend following the directions on the Opal Creek website. Google says the trip will be about 2.5 hours, but it’s closer to 2 hours if you don’t [...]