Beaver Creek (Crooked River tributary) explained

Beaver Creek
Map Size:300
Pushpin Map:USA Oregon
Pushpin Map Size:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the mouth of Beaver Creek in Oregon
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:Oregon
Subdivision Type4:County
Subdivision Name4:Crook
Source1:Confluence of north and south forks
Source1 Location:Laughlin Table
Source1 Coordinates:44.1725°N -119.7628°W[1]
Source1 Elevation:3834feet[2]
Mouth:Crooked River
Mouth Location:near Paulina
Mouth Coordinates:44.1014°N -120.0511°W
Mouth Elevation:3622feet

Beaver Creek is a tributary of the Crooked River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is formed by the confluence of its two forks in southeastern Crook County, a sparsely populated part of Central Oregon. North Fork Beaver Creek flows south and then west around Laughlin Table. South Fork Beaver Creek drains the slopes of Snow Mountain and Funny Butte in southwestern Grant County before joining the North Fork.[3]

The Beaver Creek main stem flows west from the forks' confluence to near Birdsong Butte then southwest down Paulina Valley past the unincorporated community of Paulina to join the South Fork Crooked River. From this confluence, the main stem of the Crooked River flows generally west 125miles to meet the Deschutes River, a tributary of the Columbia River.[3]

Named tributaries of the creek from source to mouth are Sugar Creek, which enters from the right; Grindstone Creek, left; Wolf and Paulina creeks, right; Alkali Creek, left; Profanity Gulch, right, and Drift Canyon, left.[3] Oregon Route 380 (Paulina Highway) runs along the lower creek from near Paulina to the mouth. The stream flows under the highway twice, first slightly upstream of Paulina and then further downstream near Profanity Gulch.[3]

Camping

Sugar Creek Campground is along Sugar Creek, a tributary of Beaver Creek that flows generally west to the main stem from the Ochoco Mountains. Amenities include campsites, picnic tables, toilets, and drinking water. A short paved trail at the campground follows Sugar Creek through a forest of ponderosa pines.[4]

Wolf Creek Campground is along Wolf Creek, another tributary of Beaver Creek that flows west from the same mountainous area as Sugar Creek. Amenities include campsites, picnic tables, toilets.[5] Both campgrounds are managed by the United States Forest Service.[4] [5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{gnis3|1137818}} Beaver Creek]. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey (USGS). November 28, 1980. December 3, 2015.
  2. Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. Web site: United States Geological Survey. United States Topographic Map. Acme Mapper. December 4, 2015.
  4. Web site: Sugar Creek Campground and Day Use Area. United States Forest Service. December 4, 2015.
  5. Web site: Wolf Creek Campground. United States Forest Service. December 4, 2015.