The Long Way
Linn County
A winding road runs alongside a rocky river through a forest.
Plate I. Quartzville Back Country Byway along the river. From blm.gov
A dirt road winds through a mountainous landscape with rocky cliffs and pine trees.
Plate II. Cleared road, Quartzville Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
A small waterfall flowing through mossy rocky cliffs.
Plate III. Waterfall along Quartzville Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
Campers along Quartzville Back Country Byway.
Plate IV. Campers along Quartzville Back Country Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dogwood Recreation Site, Quartzville Back Country Byway.
Plate V. Dogwood Recreation Site, Quartzville Back Country Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Dogwood Picnic Area along Quartzville Back Country Byway.
Plate VI. Dogwood Picnic Area along Quartzville Back Country Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Quartzville Back Country Byway

Cascadia, Linn County, Oregon. Back country byway.

Details

Map. Cascadia, Linn County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
1717 Fabry Rd, Salem, Cascadia, OR 97306. Directions
Getting there
Forest Service Road 11; begins at Highway 20 near Sweet Home's Foster Reservoir and winds 50 miles northeast to Highway 22.
Fees
No Fees for day use.
Access
Access is weather dependent. Forest Service roads are not maintained for snow or ice.
Walk-in or reserve
First-come, first-serve; Old Miner's Meadow offers a large 2 acre gated group reservation camping area.
Phone
503-375-5646
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management.
Coordinates
44.54863500000000, -122.42959999999999.

Enjoy a day of hiking and exploring along the BLM's Quartzville Back Country Byway, or spend the day fishing, swimming, and gold panning on the serene Quartzville River.

Notable Events

  1. 1848Gold was discovered in the Sweet Home area in 1848, but it took 16 years for the prospectors to arrive. oregonpioneers.com
  2. 1863Jeremiah Driggs filed the first gold claim on Sept. 5, 1863. oregonpioneers.com
  3. 1864Quartzville was laid out as a town in 1864 and a stamp mill built in that year, as Lewis A. McArthur's Oregon Geographical Names reports per this article. oregonpioneers.com
  4. 1869By 1869, 500 claims had been filed and a stamp mill and saw mill built; a very rough, unimproved road led to the mines. oregonpioneers.com
  5. 1870Bryant City, a wild town that flourished briefly during the rush, was abandoned; the article also states the first wagon road to the mines started at Gates, between the North Santiam River and Quartzville Creek. oregonpioneers.com
  6. 1896The U.S. Mint reported the largest output of gold from the Quartzville mines in 1896: 3,938.92 ounces. oregonpioneers.com
  7. 1988The 12-mile recreational section of Quartzville Creek that the byway parallels was designated in 1988 and flows into Green Peter Reservoir near Sweet Home. fws.gov

People

  • Edward Aho, Quartzville miner; with his brothers a partner in mining ventures and in the Santiam Lily, Silver Ridge and Relief mine claims (mined until June 1976).
  • Jeremiah Driggs, filed the first gold claim in the Quartzville area (1863).
  • John Aho, Quartzville miner; with his brothers a partner in mining ventures and in the Santiam Lily, Silver Ridge and Relief mine claims (mined until June 1976).
  • Wayne Aho, Quartzville miner; with his brothers a partner in mining ventures and in the Santiam Lily, Silver Ridge and Relief mine claims (mined until June 1976).

Sources

  1. fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/recreation/quartzville-road-back-country-byway
  2. recreation.gov/gateways/15092
  3. fws.gov/rivers/river/quartzville
  4. blm.gov/visit/quartzville-creek-wild-and-scenic-river
  5. oregonpioneers.com/QuartzvilleGold.htm
  6. scenicbyways.info/byway/68922.html