L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Update 10/2024 Hiked Hollies Point of View and Bumping Knots Loop trails. Signs were posted (see photos) asking people to turn around when trails are muddy after winter rains and warning that they don't have access to Bumping Knots in winter for maintenance. Most of these trails appear to be old roads with little maintenance needed except removal of fallen trees (which has been done). Some sections need water bars and/or switchbacks added. A few areas have drainage issues even in fall. Well designed and maintained trails should be usable all year. Maybe Trailkeepers can help (https://trailkeepersoforegon.org/). The start of Timber Beast Trail is unmarked except for a sign about bees/wasps. Update 9/2024 New maps showing closures were posted in the Welcome Center and at all the outdoor map displays we saw. They appeared to be consistent with the closures we saw. Timber harvest project is damaging trees that are left behind. Update 06/2024 A timber harvest project to improve habitat is underway. Trails and portions of trails are closed. Maps posted around the park are inconsistent and don't actually show closures. There are little red squares in the area of closures, but don't indicate which trails or intersections are closed. The volunteer at the Welcome Center was unclear on closure locations. We entered one area past a sign indicating to be careful of the equipment only to find two other accesses to the area posted closed. For info on project, see https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_sitefiles/publications/stub-stewart-fhp-poster---v11-7.083835.pdf.--- Park has a variety of recreation options including hiking, mountain biking, camping in tents, RVs or cabins, disc golf, and horseback riding. A Picnic Shelter and Meeting Hall are available to rent. There are a variety of plants and animals to view. It appears some of the area we saw is recovering monoculture from timber harvest. The parking lots we saw were all paved. Restrooms we saw were clean and well-maintained. They had flush toilets and sinks, but no paper towels. Just the disease spreading hand dryers or bring your own towel. Most drive in campsites appeared to have hookups. The campground restrooms had showers. Dogs are allowed on leash, in vehicles and in the dog exercise area. The park was out of trail maps pending revisions. They have a simple handout map that leaves out a lot of detail. Might want to take photo of your route on one of the maps posted at parking areas. You can also print a map from their website. Signs are inconsistent so routes may be difficult to follow. Some intersections have signs with trail name and/or destinations. $5 fee for parking can be paid at park machines. Annual pass can be purchased online for $30. It is valid for 12 months after purchase. A temporary pass is emailed for immediate use. The trails we hiked* were mostly dirt. One area was paved. The trails had been cleared of fallen branches and trees, but were otherwise poorly maintained. Trails had gullies and mud puddles resulting in trail widening as users try to avoid the mud. Be prepared to get muddy. Trails were mostly clean with rare pieces of litter. Benches were available at viewpoints. *Hill Top Day Use lot> Swing Donkey Trail> Boomscooter Trail> Unfit Settlement View> Peavey Hook Bridle Way> N. Caddywhomper Way. Trail update: In May 2023 we hiked from Welcome Center down road to Banks Vernonia trail to Hollie's Point of View Trail to Bumping Knots Loop. Many trees down. Some made the trails impassable for bicycles and horses. Horses have been causing damage by going around obstacles. We were able to get through on foot. Trails are gravel or dirt. They are steep and rough in places. There is a bench on Hollie's Point of View Trail, one on Bumping Knots Loop and one at the intersection. Signs are posted. Saw Canada Jays and other birds.
John Pelonio
20
What a beautiful state park with a nice welcome/discovery center at the entrance. This park is well designed and built on a gorgeous location in the northern Oregon coast range with close proximity to the Portland metro area. The are 2 areas to camp with the Dairy Creek West Camp and the Dairy Creek East Camp. The west camp is the larger of the two and is in a more wooded area. The east camp is in a large meadow area with more open sites. The west camp also has a tent camping area with a restroom and fire pits and access to water faucets for fresh water. The west camp area where we stayed are full hookups with large sites, pinic tables and fire pits and back up to large wooded areas that are flat with room for RVs and a tent. All sites are covered in a thin manicured layer of small pea gravel which keeps the dust and dirt down. The park has several different areas within its boundaries including a beautiful day use area with great views of the Coast range and sunsets and a cabin area with great views as well. There is also an equestrian area with plenty of trails. Speaking of trails this park has numerous hiking and biking trails for all levels of comfort and experience. The Banks Vernonia Trail runs through the park and is easily accessible to hikers, bikers and equestrian. This trail was an easy ride on our ebikes in both directions from the park. The park is roughly half way on the 21 mile trail. The staff of Rangers and park volunteers are friendly and very helpful as I had a battery failure on my ebike one day and was having a medical condition and my wife contacted the park rangers who drove out to get me and my bike safely back to the park. Many thanks to the Rangers. The park does have cell service.
Don Lowe
10
My wife and I stayed in the hike-in section this last weekend. The actual hike in section where you have to bring your gear about 1/3 of a mile down a fairly steep hill, then up another one. Plan accordingly if you're one of those campers that likes to bring everything including the kitchen sink.... I was aware of this, and it's why I actually picked the spot. My wife wanted to get into backpacking, and I figured this would be a good first step. We brought all our gear in our packs. Onto what the park was like.... So in our section, there was only one pit toilet available for all 20 or so spots in our section. It was 90 degrees every day, just about all day... It got stanky in that outhouse.... Could have used a couple of cleanings throughout the day since it was the only one in the entire section open. In our section, not all campsites are created equal. #9, the site we stayed in, was built on the side of a slope, and there's zero level ground anywhere. The picnic table was downhill, the pad for the tent was downhill, and i still sit with a lean, three days after we got home. In the area our site was in, the trees are pretty small, so you don't get much relief from the sun. Outside of hiking and bike riding, there wasn't much to do here. No ponds, lakes, or creeks to cool off in the heat of the day. Nothing. Onto the good... The park is beautiful! Loads of hiking and biking trails that are in excellent shape. We hiked probably ten miles total and hardly scratched the surface of what there is around there. That's how big the park is! Since our section was foot traffic only, the wildlife was abundant. Loads of birds, saw a handful of deer, and squirrels. Mosquitos were also out in droves, so be ready for those! It was also quiet in this section. Made for easy times falling asleep. The water was delicious! Being a backpacker, a highlight of any trip is always good water. And the wells here didn't disappoint. If you're a minimalist camper, that wants to just lounge around or hike the grounds, then the hike in section may be for you. Do your homework though and make sure you get a level site.
Tyler Rakes
00
I've stayed twice here at L.L. Stub Stewart. Once from Sunday, August 4th to Tuesday the 6th and again on Sunday the 18th to Thursday the 22nd. Large park located on a mountain / hill side. Keep that in mind when camping and coming back from riding the "Banks to Vernonia" trail! Novice bike riders (like myself) and kids may run out of energy. Speaking of biking. A added bonus at the upper day use area / parking lot is a bicycle washing station. As for camping... Come prepared! Nearest store / gas station is over 10 miles away in Vernonia. This park offers large clear camp area's with lots of room inbetween quests. Of course each space has a picnic table and fire pit. One of the campgrounds negatives (for me.) Is the use of "small pea gravel" in each camp space. It's easily brought into your camper via your shoes. Especially after raining! Not sure why. But LL Stubs is another state park that needs to invest in some brooms or dust mops for the removal of both spider and cob webs in the restroom(s) and shower areas. *One notable highlight for EV drivers. I saw acouple of charging stations at the main building / check in area.
Kolbe's Skoolie travels
00
I am a bit disappointed in this place, but hesitant to leave it a super low rating. It was the first time riding here for the three of us, and I have heard great things about this place from all the people who go here. The trails were marked horribly, all the trails were 1/4-1/2 a mole long; which made it difficult to trot through some of the trail, because there were constantly intersections that didnt make sense. The loop trails are not loops, and the Banks Vernonia trail is all paved. The bikers here do not know trail etiquette, so they do not yeild to horses. One man was very rude and intentionally tried to hit my friends dog who he seemed to think was in his way. The viewpoint we went to was so overgrown we couldnt see anything, and the trail to it is real rocky. The horse camp sites look really nice: they're large and have big stalls that look safe and well kept. Full hookups for trailer/motorhomes. We will not be returning, since we either couldnt find the trails to go on, or there arent good ones.
Hannah Herschberger
10
We did the walk in camping. They have a little wagon to borrow you can use to schlep in your gear which was so handy. The camp sites are small and close to each other, but perfect for a tent. Each campsite doesn’t have a fire ring which is disappointing but totally understandable with fire concerns. Instead there are 2 large community fire rings to use. It’s very lush and green and there are bathrooms (no sinks, no plumbing) and water spigots for use. There were tons of trails thru the trees and it also is right next to the Banks to Vernonia bike path which is gorgeous and an easy ride for families. The park rangers were very nice. Big dumpsters with a ton of recycling choices in the parking lot too. Only downer was the hoards of eager mosquitoes but that was most likely from the time of year we went and the tons of rain we’ve had. Also there is no lake, creek or stream nearby. We enjoyed ourselves and would go back.
Karen S
10
Basic Info
Address
L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, Buxton, OR 97109
Map
Phone
(800) 551-6949
Call
Website
oregonstateparks.org
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(798 reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
adventure
scenic
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
L. L. "Stub" Stewart Memorial State Park is a 1,654-acre Oregon state park in Washington County near the community of Buxton. When the park opened in 2007 it was the first new full-service state park in Oregon since 1972.
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