OC&E Woods Line State Trail, Rail trail in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
The OC&E Woods Line State Trail is Oregon's longest state park, a 105-mile (169 km) rail trail from Klamath Falls to Thompson Reservoir, passing Olene, Sprague River, Dairy, Beatty and Bly. The first 8 miles (13 km) to Olene are paved; beyond, the surface is graded and compacted, with a gentle 2 percent grade.
Construction on the OC&E Railroad, also called the Klamath Municipal Railway, began in summer 1917 with bonds sold by the city of Klamath Falls; it was declared open in fall 1923 and reached Bly in 1927. Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern ran it jointly from 1925 until Weyerhaeuser bought it in 1974. The last logging train entered Klamath Falls on April 29, 1990, and Weyerhaeuser deeded the railbanked line to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in 1992.
The trail passes 13 interpretive signs that recall its railroad years, including the 1898 steel bridge over the A Canal and a restored caboose, the last one used to run the rails to Klamath Falls. The route links eight communities and five schools, and the Woods Line branches near Beatty toward the Sycan Marsh, a birdwatching spot.
The trail starts smooth near town but becomes rougher as you progress outward, so choose footwear and equipment suited to changing conditions. Water sources and rest stops are scattered along the way rather than clustered together.
The Merritt Creek Trestle on the Woods Line was 400 feet (120 m) long and 50 feet (15 m) high before it burned in the 2021 Bootleg Fire; some of its supports are still visible. The Woods Line ends 7 miles (11 km) north of the trestle site at Sycan Marsh, a spot for birdwatchers.
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