OC&E Woods Line State Trail Olene Gap Trailhead - Klamath Falls, OR
N 42° 10.300 W 121° 37.595
10T E 613437 N 4669749
This trailhead starts at Olene Gap and begins the dirt and rock trail where the paved part of the trail ends, just SE of Klamath Falls, OR.
Waymark Code: WMJVH5
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/03/2014
Views: 4
The OC&E Woods Line State Trail is Oregon's longest state park at over 105 miles in distance. It begins in Klamath Falls, OR and travels east to Beatty, then diverting north and finally ending at Sycan Marsh, many miles to the north.
This trailhead is located just off Hwy 140 in what's known as Olene Gap and includes ample parking. Travelers will need to be very careful of crossing the highway if they plan to travel east along the trail where it becomes a dirt and rock trail.
From the OC&E Woods Line State Trail official website:
Construction on the OC&E Railroad began in the summer of 1917 as part of a grand plan by Robert Strahorn to connect Klamath Falls by rail lines and take advantage of timber opportunities.
Initial development involved bonds sold by the city of Klamath Falls. After several delays in development, the OC&E was opened in 1923. The line was then jointly operated by Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern from 1925 until 1975. It was then purchased by Weyerhaeuser who solely operated the entire railroad in support of its timber operations.
At peak production in 1978-79, the OC&E was transporting 35,000 loads of wood products per year. However, the recession that affected the US in the 1980s hit the Northwest timber industry especially hard, and many timber companies closed. The OC&E saw a decline in traffic from 1979 to 1982. By the spring of 1990 Weyerhaeuser decided to reduce operations at Klamath Falls. The last logging train into Klamath Falls entered on Sunday April 29, 1990, with local residents lining the track seeking one last glimpse of the logging railroad.
As it was no longer cost effective to move logs by rail, Weyerhaeuser deeded the rail line to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in 1992, and its conversion to a trail system began.
This trailhead has a gate that only allows people and bicycles through. Motorized vehicles are strictly off limits on any part of this trail. Additionally, the OC&E Trail volunteers recently installed a static display of a snow removal ROW equipment at the trailhead that can be climbed on and interacted with by kids.