A Winter Warmup: The E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area

We find some interesting places during our winter explorations.

This one is an expansive wildlife area that also allows hunting, and even offers shotgun and archery ranges. There is an accessible fishing pond. There are miles of trails, which are actually the roads from what was once Oregon's second largest city, which was a military encampment. There are also peacocks.

This is the E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area, which came into being in 1950 when the US Government gave 1,788 acres of Camp Adair to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. So where did Camp Adair go?

Once upon a time, there was a small Willamette Valley town known as Wells. It was 1941, there was a war on, and the US was being pulled into it. Search was made for 55,000 acres to build a military training camp, and a plot north of Corvallis was chosen. The town of Wells vanished, and during the summer of 1942 1,800 buildings were constructed. Camp Adair had churches, theaters, clubs, stores, a bank, a bakery, and a hospital. Its population reached 35,000 at its peak, making it the second largest city in Oregon at the time. Four infantry divisions trained at this cantonment, which was infamous among the soldiers for its marshy ground and its plentiful poison oak.

In 1944, with training activities winding down, German and Italian prisoners of war were brought in briefly. Then the US Navy used the hospital in 1945 and 1946 to treat the wounded, and it was later used for housing for Oregon State students. The Air Force maintained a station at Camp Adair from 1958-1969, but for the most part things were over for the camp. As the 1940s wound down, the buildings were sold off, whole or in parts, as surplus. OSU maintains a section of the land as part of the Dunn Forest. A few of the old buildings still stand in the little town of Adair Village, which stands near the former site of the hospital. But in the wildlife area, traces of Camp Adair abound in marshy meadows where nature is retaking the landscape.

Arriving at E. E. Wilson, you will first see an excellent archery range on your left; here you will find a covered shooting area, a youth area, and targets from 10 to 100 yards for all skill levels. There is also a newly expanded shotgun range across the road with a covered picnic area and 12 shooting stations; these are for shotguns only with non-toxic shot.

You will notice that E.E. Wilson is not a fancy facility; expect gravel parking lots, minimal signage, and a whatever-suits-you vibe. Restrooms are few and far between; we did notice them at the fishing pond and the archery range, though.

Pass the area headquarters and watch on your left for a parking lot. Here you will find a kiosk with a bit of the history of the site, as well as cages of pheasants, and yes, peacocks. There doesn't seem to be any explanation, just pheasants and peacocks. Park here or proceed to the next parking lot on the left, marked "Angling Access," to start exploring.

Visit the ODFW site ahead of time to print out a map of the road layout, or just pick a road and wander; these are the streets from the old military town, so they are pretty much laid out in a grid. This is an excellent winter hiking area, as you can walk as much or as little as you want, and it's mostly paved! To get started, go straight north from the parking lot for a half mile to an accessible, beginner-friendly fishing pond. Open all year and stocked with trout from February to June, this popular pond offers bank and dock fishing. Across the road lies a larger, wilder pond. The trees and brush all around are full of songbirds, and raptors patrol the skies. Here in the shadow of the landfill, within earshot of 99W, deer and elk browse, beavers and river otters paddle the marshy ponds, and tree frogs creak from the treetops. Continue to wander the roads and explore, being aware of the hunting areas if it's hunting season. Look everywhere-in the bushes, in the trees, in the grassy areas-and you will find the concrete remains of Camp Adair. Sturdy foundations and a few mysterious structures still stand, but most of the buildings were constructed on low concrete posts with attached footings. These remain everywhere throughout the area; in fact, the fence along Camp Adair Road was built with them. The Adair Living History group maintains a website with more information for history buffs, and the National Park Service has an extensive article online regarding the town's layout and construction.

Explore for as long as you wish; the old streets continue on the south side of the road. Bicycles (but not E bikes) are allowed if you want to cover more of the area, and horses are allowed off of the roadways (watch for marshy areas, the remains of old foundations, and occasional metal scraps). Drive south a bit to check out the imposing smokestack where the hospital once stood and to find an occasional old building among the newer houses of modern-day Adair Village.

With so much to do here, it's worth the parking fee; bring your bike, or your horse, or a picnic, or your bow. Teach a kid to fish, spend time birdwatching, or learn about a period in history when our country pulled together to fight for freedom. But whatever you do, be sure to say hello to the peacocks.

Duck Blind Wetland Area Fishing Pond Chimney of unknown origin or importance Repeat after us: E.E. Wilson. Not E.E. Cummings. Poetry lovers will understand!

A Winter Warmup: The E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area

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