The Elk River is in southwestern Oregon in the United States. About long, the river drains a remote area of the Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean.

Rising in the mountains in northern Curry County, in the Siskiyou National Forest at confluence of its north and south forks, the river initially flows generally west along the south edge of the Grassy Knob Wilderness. It then flows northwest, approaching the coast north of Port Orford and entering the Pacific between Cape Blanco to the north and The Heads to the south.

Course

From the confluence of its two forks, Elk River flows generally west and northwest for about . All but the lowermost of it are in the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. Forest Road 5325 follows the river along its left bank, becoming County Road 208 (Elk Creek Road) after leaving the national forest. County Road 208 ends when it reaches U.S. Route 101 about by water from the mouth of the river.

In 2009, along the north and south forks of Elk River and the upper middle fork of Sixes River were designated as the Copper Salmon Wilderness. The area contains one of the nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest and one of the healthiest salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout runs in the continental United States. Protected species in the region include Port Orford cedar, marbled murrelets and northern spotted owls.

See also

  • List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
  • List of Oregon rivers

References

  • South Coast Watershed Council