Road Secrets

A typical road junction in the Elliott State Forest with no signs or markers anywhere. Which way to go?

Another typical junction giving no clue where either alternative might lead. Worse: if you are lost and simply want to find your way out to a highway, there's no clue how to do that.

Road Secrets

Strange but true: a few years ago, the Department of State Lands had road signs on the Elliott State Forest removed. What were they thinking? This makes the forest dangerous for casual visitors who can get lost among all the twisty, unmarked roads.

Photo credits: Barbara Sullivan, February 2020

A map of Elliott State Forest roads that Tasha Livingstone sent me.

Tasha Livingstone's ideas about roads ...

I wrote Tasha Livingstone:

In Wednesday's meeting, you suggested the Elliott could use road signs ... and that not having road signs might actually be dangerous for uninformed visitors. .. could you write a few lines about the lack of road signs in the Elliott and why you think better signage would be better.

Here's her reply:

Sure thing! The Elliott State Forest contains approximately 550 miles of unmarked road. According to Jerry Phillips, roughly 150 miles of those roads are used for traveling to main destinations in the forest. Speaking from firsthand experience, it's easy to get lost when you aren't familiar with the forest. The condition of the roads was vastly improved this year (no more potholes and overgrown brush), but the roads still lack signage. Signage would be my number one recommendation to improve visitor safety within the forest.

I highly encourage you to check out this chapter on roads from my students' draft recreation plan. There is valuable information and resources compiled there: http://orww.org/Elliott_Forest/Recreation/2019_Plan/1_Roads.html

All the best,

Tasha Livingstone
Southwestern Oregon Community College
Instructor of Forestry and Natural Resources