Collier Memorial State Park

The sites in Collier Campground are shaded, but not too far apart. As David pointed out, even if they were further apart we would not gain much privacy as the shade is provided by tall pines, Ponderosa and Lodgepole, with few lower branches and no underbrush. Our site has electric and water — not something we usually seek out, but it was what was available. The campground is next to Spring Creek. Many of the sites have easy access to the creek and campers have kayaks and canoes. There are a few with windsurfers which I assume they take down to the huge Upper Klamath Lake to the south.

The park has trails and a Logging Museum. In the morning we walked to the museum and found it to be an interesting collection of huge logging equipment dating from the 1860s through the 1990s. Some of these are huge. The McGuffert could straddle a railroad track so that the cars could pass beneath. It could then pick up logs and load the car. A cart with 8-foot wheels used for carting logs 6-feet in diameter and 100 feet long caught our attention. Another called the BeloitHarvester was huge — had been built in Beloit WI, used in Thunder Bay ON, then moved to Oregon. Certainly would have been a wide load.

Also at the museum were a number of log cabins built between 1870 and 1890. They were originally located elsewhere, but moved here for display. Because it is so dry here, it takes a long time for logs to rot, so the cabins are in pristine condition.

At the logging museum we learned about the fire of 2020 which swept through this area. The firefighters did an amazing job of saving the museum and the campground. At the museum three buildings including one of the old log cabins were burned. All around the campground are trees with charcoal trunks. Recently, they have been cutting down the dead and severely damaged trees. In addition along the creek they have been replanting. Along the creek are lots of poplars, willows, fireweed, currants, and service berries that are making a comeback.

Our walk, a trip to the museum followed by a walk along the Spring Creek, looping back to the campground was about 3 miles and was a delight except for the places where there was no shade.

We have better ATT internet here than at Mazama campground in Crater Lake NP. There we could send texts, but even that was only during the day. Service dropped off at night.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)