The Opal Creek Wilderness area is a pristine, unlogged area of the
Willamette National Forest. Originating from Opal Lake at the head of a heavily foresated canyon, Opal Creek drains into the Little North Fork of the
Santiam River above the scenic Elkhorn Valley in eastern Marion County. Covering 6000 acres, the Opal Creek watershed is a predominantly roadless area which earned attention in 1989 when environmentalists unsuccessfuly tried to get the Oregon legislature to acquire the area and preserve it as a state park.
