Christmas search is on

Sharp-eyed folks can be rewarded if luck is with them on their hikes. Starting last Friday, two hundred locally crafted wooden ornaments were hidden along trails across the Willamette National and Umpqua National Forests.

The annual Willamette Valley Ornament Hunt is now in its sixth year and will run until December 31st. People who locate them can register to win this year’s grand prize, which includes a two-night getaway in the Willamette Valley.

Locally, some ornaments were placed on the McKenzie River Trail between Tamolitch (Blue Pool) and Sahalie Falls #3507.

Others can be found on the Waterfalls Loop Trail #3503 or along the southern portion of the McKenzie River Trail #3507 below the Frissell Boat Launch. Others were placed on the King-Castle Trail #4326.

The tradition was born in 2018 when the Willamette National Forest provided the Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington D.C. For more information visit https://willamettevalley.org/ornament.