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It poured buckets this weekend. Sunday was the drier day so we thought we'd
revisit the Ghost Town of Idiotville, Oregon that we first explored in 2012.
GETTING THERE: Idiotville is about 8 miles West of the Timber Highway cutoff.
Go West past Timber Road. The fourth Right will be Drift Creek road. Idiotville
(Ryan's Camp) is supposed to be about 1/2 mile North of that location. There are no
signs or markers for Idiotville. Idiot Creek Loop road runs off of Drift Creek road.
The GPS coordinates for Idiotville are:
45 37' 10" N, 123 25' 5" W
We were out here in 2012. Here is a trip report on our last visit to
Idiotville, Oregon
Idiotville is a ghost town located in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States,
near the mouth of Idiot Creek on the Wilson River, just to the North of Oregon Route 6.
Idiotville's elevation is 1200 feet. It is in the Tillamook State Forest, along the
Tillamook-Washington county line, approximately 50 miles west northwest of Portland.
Nothing remains at the site.
The nearby stream was named Idiot Creek after the community and was added to the
official United States Board on Geographic Names list in 1977. About a half mile up
Idiot Creek was a logging camp called Ryan's Camp, which was part of the salvage
operations following the Tillamook Burn. Since the spot was so remote, it was said
that only an idiot would work there, so the camp was popularly known as Idiotville.
The name was eventually applied to the stream.
The so-called Tillamook Burn was actually four fires that spanned from 1933 to 1951.
It's not known at this time which burn the Idiotville workers were involved with.
However, the 1933 event seems the more likely since it was the Depression and
therefore salvage operations would be a priority. Also, finding workers willing to
endure harsh conditions during the Great Depression would be easier. The first of
the four was started in the Gales Creek Canyon on August 14, 1933. The second fire
was started in 1939 and was contained within the bounds of the earlier fire.
Here is the access road to Idiotville. Drift Creek Road and Larch Mountain.
This is the view looking toward Highway 6 (The Wilson River Highway).
The road immediately changes to compacted gravel. The road is in good condition
and seems to be well traveled. You'll go over this little bridge and over the Wilson
River. Just past the bridge take the road that forks to the left.
I've seen several trip reports that state that this is the location of Idiotville.
According to the "official" GPS coordinates, Ryan's Camp (Idiotville) is about 1/4
mile North of this location. In this report I'll document all of the possible
Idiotville site locations that I know about.
If you continue up the road a short way you'll see this clearing to the right.
It's just before a small bridge that goes over Idiot Creek.
Directly across from this clearing is a larger clearing. This location, at the confluence
of Idiot Creek and the Wilson River gets my vote for the true location of the Idiotville
Ghost Town. Of course no permanent buildings were erected and if there are any period
artifacts in the area, they are well hidden. This location has a fire pit and seems to be
an active campsite location.
The previous five pictures were all taken in the area that I believe to be the original
Idiotville site.
Back on the main road and a little further up you will quickly come up on another bridge.
This one crosses the actual Idiotville Creek.
Here's more pictures of Idiot Creek.
Continue past the Idiot Creek bridge and up the hill for about 1/8 mile, Idiot Creek will
be on your right. The road will take a sharp turn to the left, moving away from the creek.
According to the reports I've seen, Ryan's Camp was on the flat area down below on the left
bank of Idiot Creek. I doubt this since it's too close to the creek and thus the ground would
be very wet. There is also no evidence of a road leading down to the clearing.
If I was going to build a town consisting of wooden structures, I'd build on the higher
plateau off to the left. There is no evidence that this is the site of the Idiotville
location though. I included a picture of this location just because.
Here's more pictures of our visit to
Idiotville, Oregon.
Here's some pictures of
area waterfalls.
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