Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center Information

Our mission is promoting conservation through educational experiences in wilderness. Our programs are based in the heart of the old-growth Opal Creek Wilderness, a temperate rainforest in the foothills west of the Oregon Cascades. Our base of operations in the off-grid historic mining town of Jawbone Flats is surrounded by our greatest treasure and asset--a fully-functioning old-growth forest ecosystem, protected from ridgeline to ridgeline thanks to a community-led grassroots campaign in the '80s and '90s. Our programs immerse participants of all ages in an exploration of our natural surroundings, without the distractions of screens or cellphones. We work to help visitors deepen their relationship with nature and their appreciation of our public lands, knowing that conservationism grows from a place of love.