Road Trip - Jewell Meadows WIldlife Area

Took a short detour on our way back from the coast and stopped at the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area. Estimate we saw around 40 Roosevelt Elk grazing in the open meadows. The drive north from Hwy 26 on Hwy 103 is beautiful and the Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area is very pituresque and well worth the detour.

Roosevelt Elk at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Oregon

Roosevelt Elk at Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Oregon

Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area is located in the Oregon Coast Range Mountains, in the northwestern part of the state. The wildlife area was established in 1969, with an initial purchase of 183 acres. It now encompasses 1,114 acres. The wildlife area’s purpose is to protect and enhance habitat to benefit native wildlife species, to reduce wildlife damage to adjacent properties, and to provide the public with an opportunity to observe wildlife in a natural setting.

The 2,940-acre state wildlife area has been offering them a winter home since 1969. Elk are provided a supplementary diet by the state fish and wildlife service, so it gives them incentive to stick around until things green up in the spring. The area is off limits to hunters, so the elk are safe from human intrusion.

Sources:
ODFW website
ODFW Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area Brochure
Oregon Live Website