The Santiam Horse Camp is reopening Friday, July 1 after suffering damage during the Labor Day 2020 wildfires.
Reservations are being taken effective immediately for the Santiam State Forest facility south of Gates. Go to reserveamerica.com and search for Santiam Horse Camp.
The camp, which includes 12 sites, is geared primarily toward those camping with horses, and some spots are exclusively for equestrian use.
A press release from the Oregon Department of Forestry, which supervises the Santiam State Forest, noted that “visitors to the area are likely to see a patchwork of fire effects from the 2020 Labor Day fires.”
Most trees in the camp area survived, but staff and volunteers had to rebuild corrals and other infrastructure. Other areas close to the camp were heavily damaged.
Visitors are asked to respect all closures and take particular caution in burned areas.
Other advisories suggested by the ODF include: Do not enter closed areas; take extra caution when recreating in burned areas; and respect all land closures, public and private.
Also, those in the forest are cautioned to be careful when driving on single-lane gravel roads in the forest. Active recovery and logging operations are underway. Keep to the right and anticipate oncoming traffic such as trucks, heavy equipment, and other vehicles. Many forest roads, the release said, cross multiple ownerships, and levels of road maintenance can vary accordingly.
The ODF also noted in the release that maps, closure areas, and anticipated re-opening timelines for other areas are posted at the Santiam State Forest recovery site at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/recreation/Pages/santiam-state-forest.aspx.
Re-openings also will be announced on ODF’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
