Ellmaker State Wayside, Rest area and state park in Lincoln County, Oregon.
Ellmaker State Wayside is a day-use state park on U.S. Route 20, about 1 mile north of Burnt Woods, covering 80 acres of timber and grassland. Two streams flow together within the park to form Tum Tum Creek, a tributary of the St. Marys River. The parcel includes two beaver-dammed streams, a level area for camping or a playground, and fruit trees on the south side.
The property was donated to Oregon State Parks in 1961 by Harlan D. Ellmaker, a retired Forest Service employee. His gift reflected a personal commitment to preserving the natural landscape and making it available to the public.
Harlan D. Ellmaker donated the land in 1961 in memory of the Ellmaker family, who pioneered in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, California and Oregon. The park is named for that family, and its south side holds fruit trees from a former tree preserve.
The site features four picnic tables beside a grassy area, public restrooms, and parking spaces for travelers stopping along the Corvallis-Newport Highway. The facilities work well for short breaks during a longer drive.
Harlan D. Ellmaker, who gave the land in 1961, was a grand nephew of a member of the Ellmaker family that moved from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Lane County, Oregon, in the mid-1800s. He lived on the parcel before transferring it, and park superintendent Mark H. Astrup noted the gift held two beaver-dammed streams.
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