Explore Nature at the Tillamook Forest Center

Are you looking for an engaging activity for your kids this summer? Want a short day trip to explore nature? Take a short drive west of Portland, Oregon along Highway 6 and visit the Tillamook Forest Center. The center is open all summer long and offers engaging indoor exhibits while offering plenty of outdoor recreation in a beautifully forested area. Come learn about the Tillamook Burn while your kids climb a replica fire tower!

Quick Stats
Location: 50 miles west of Portland, along Highway 6
Hours: everyday (summer) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
Gift Shop: Yes
Website: Yes

Check out that fire tower!
When you hop out of the car at the Tillamook Forest Center, you will immediately notice your kids clamoring to climb up the replica fire tower. To get the wiggles out, I recommend letting them explore this outdoor exhibit before viewing the wonderful indoor exhibits. Children need to be accompanied by adult for safety reasons and they need to walk up the fire tower steps rather than run.

The ladder is 40-feet tall and has great views of the surrounding forest. Inside, kids have a chance to learn about the people who stayed in fire towers and they tools they used to help spot fires. They can touch and examine the items, check out the maps, or sit on the bunk. While dogs are allowed on the grounds, they are not permitted to climb up the fire tower.

Check out the fire tower web cam here.

Tillamook Forest Center indoor exhibits
Start your indoor tour by watching the short, 15-minute movie about the Tillamook Burn. It is very dramatic and will give you a new appreciation for the power of fire and the human spirit that endures. The film is short enough that most kids will have a long enough attention span.

Once you have watched the movie, encourage your kids to walk throughout the building. The exhibits are kid-friendly and teach about topics such as forest health, early life in the forest, and what the future might hold.

Tillamook Forest Center outdoor exhibits
In addition to the fire tower, the center boasts a wonderful 250-foot-long suspension bridge leading from the back of the building and across the Wilson River. The bridge is a hit with kids and has sparked many imaginative quests and adventures in our family!

Once you cross over the river, your family can choose between hiking the Wilson River Trail or just exploring the river's edge and, perhaps, tossing a few rocks into the water. On occasion, you may be lucky enough to see mounds of butterflies sunning themselves on the rocks near the bridge in the summer months. This is a great opportunity for your kids to study nature up close and, later, write or draw about in a nature journal.

Finally, be sure to have your children pose with Smokey-the-Bear at the building entrance. Take their picture for a great addition to your summer scrapbook!

Where to eat
If you are hungry, there are picnic tables near the parking area. Food and beverages are not allowed in the building, but you can walk around the building to access the suspension bridge and have lunch on the other side of the river. There is a coin-operated vending machine that offers a few light snacks and drinks; however, you will not be able to purchase a regular lunch here except during special events.