14 Golden Coyote Wetlands

Coyote Wetlands At Golden, Oregon

For a fun outing and casual exercise, Coyote Wetlands At Golden, Oregon is the answer.

This historic area was heavily mined in the 1850's, and the town of Golden and Coyote Wetlands have gone through a transformation.

Water from Coyote Creek was used to hydraulically mine the entire valley below the ghost town of Golden. The miners are gone now, except the claims that still exist.

Some claims such as this one are still actively worked, and most every bit of creek has a claim on it.

There is a lot of evidence throughout the entire valley of having been mined hydraulically.  Huge tailing piles are slowly being reclaimed by various trees and shrubs.

You can now walk through Coyote Wetlands through a beautiful valley filled with clear ponds and running water coursing from one pond to another, the next pond slightly lower in elevation, and so on through a far stretching series of large to small ponds, so plentiful that I soon lost count.

Geese and ducks leisurely move aside, and blue jays, with the brightest colored feathers I've ever seen, scold you for disturbing their home.

The splash of a beaver at Coyote Wetlands warning of our approach left ripples on its' pond home.  Various chewings for food and building supplies are evidence of a healthy beaver habitat.
Fresh raccoon tracks were evident on the road where an overflowing pond was releasing its' excess water to flow across our path.

All throughout our walk were were accompanied by the rushing Coyote Creek on one side of the valley, and the more gentle stream that joins all of the picturesque ponds running through the opposite side and the center of the valley.
Being only fifteen minutes north of Grants Pass, the Coyote Wetlands At Golden, Oregon is a wonderful way to just get out and enjoy nature.

The walk is easy, and you will soon lose track of how far you've gone, and you won't really care.  Take the time for Coyote Wetlands At Golden,  you'll come back, I know we will.

Although Manzanita is almost impossible to transplant, as are the Madrone trees, but they seem to thrive on the massive tailings.
The crafty coyotes for which Coyote Wetlands was named were in evidence by their signs, and I'm sure they were watching us as many times I had that strange feeling that one gets when you're being followed.  It would have been great to get a photo, but human makes too much commotion when treading through the countryside.