Oregon's North Fork Smith (not to be confused with the North Fork Smith of Northern California) serves as a salmon and steelhead stronghold for the large Umpqua River system, with good runs of coho, sea-run and resident cutthroat trout, fall chinook and winter steelhead. The North Fork Smith's cold water and complex habitat provide a refuge for fish in summer months.
In 2003, WRC conserved a unique 320-acre property on the North Fork Smith, which is now part of the Siuslaw National Forest. The property was the only private in-holding within the Kentucky Falls Special Interest Area, a seven-mile-long corridor of old growth in the Siuslaw National Forest. This area contains the largest expanse of mature Late Successional Reserve in the Oregon Coast Range. It is best known for the spectacular twin waterfalls formed with Kentucky Creek and the North Fork Smith River plunge, side-by-side, over a forested cliff.
For up to date access information please visit the Siuslaw National Forest website.
