Hills Creek (Oregon)

Hills Creek
Name origin: John J. Hill, early settler
Country United States
State Oregon
County Lane
Source Juniper Ridge
 - location Willamette National Forest
 - elevation 5,043 ft (1,537 m) [1]
 - coordinates 43°34′12″N 122°15′50″W / 43.57000°N 122.26389°W / 43.57000; -122.26389 [2]
Mouth Middle Fork Willamette River
 - location Hills Creek Dam
 - elevation 1,545 ft (471 m) [2]
 - coordinates 43°42′27″N 122°25′24″W / 43.70750°N 122.42333°W / 43.70750; -122.42333Coordinates: 43°42′27″N 122°25′24″W / 43.70750°N 122.42333°W / 43.70750; -122.42333 [2]
Length 16 mi (26 km) [3]
Location of the mouth of Hills Creek in Oregon

Hills Creek is a tributary, about 16 miles (26 km) long, of the Middle Fork Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its headwaters on Juniper Ridge in the Cascade Range, the creek flows northwest through Lane County and the Willamette National Forest for its entire course.[3]

Hills Creek enters the Hills Creek Reservoir at Hills Creek Dam on the Middle Fork about 3 miles (5 km) upstream from Oakridge.[3] Forest Road 23 (Hills Creek Road) runs roughly parallel to the creek for most of its length.[3]

Hills Creek was named for John J. Hill, who settled near the mouth of the creek in 1870. The dam and lake take their names from the creek.[4]

Recreation

The lower 3 to 4 miles (5 to 6 km) of the creek are stocked with rainbow trout that reach 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) in length. The stream also supports wild coastal cutthroat trout.[5]

Whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run a 4-mile (6 km) stretch of the creek that has been called "one of the more demanding creeks in the Eugene area".[6] (Eugene is about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of the mouth of the creek.)[7] Rapids vary from class 4 to 5 on the International Scale of River Difficulty.[6] Debris from logging adds to the many dangers on this run.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hills Creek". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 United States Geological Survey. "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map". TopoQuest. Retrieved January 8, 2013. The map includes river mile (RM) markers for the first 13.9 miles (22.4 km). The remaining distance is an estimate based on map scale and ruler.
  4. ↑ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 468. ISBN 978-0875952772.
  5. ↑ Sheehan, Madelynne Diness. Fishing in Oregon (10th ed.). Scappoose, Oregon: Flying Pencil Publications. p. 144. ISBN 0-916473-15-5.
  6. 1 2 3 Giordano, Pete. Soggy Sneakers: A Paddler's Guide to Oregon's Rivers (4th ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 133–34. ISBN 978-0-89886-815-9.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Daniel M.; Petersen, Richard R.; Lycan, D. Richard; Sweet, James W.; Neuhaus, Mark E., and Schaedel, Andrew L. (1985). Atlas of Oregon Lakes. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-87071-343-4.
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