I sure wish summer would linger longer, but on a back-country byway the signs say otherwise.

Summer is fading. Fall's on its way.

And so am I - to see Fishhawk Falls.

It's hidden in a dense forest at Lee Wooden Park; a tiny tributary of the Nehalem River.

The falls aren't much to shout about right now as they drop 70-feet in three skinny tiers.

But give them more time and a real northwest soaker and the falls will roar to life.

At the nearby Jewell Wildlife Area, the bull elk don't roar, but they sure do bugle: day and night each September.

So stop in and enjoy the show.

Recent improvements to the Jewell Wildlife Area site have expanded the recreation opportunities.

New picnic tables invite the family to bring a lunch and enjoy a front-row seat to the resident elk herd.

September is a particularly good time to visit; that's when the rut occurs and the bull elk become more aggressive.

You can see some real bull elk battles and have a chance to hear eerie sound of elk bugling.

Follow the Nehalem River tour near Elsie, Oregon and you'll drive right through Spruce Run Campground.

Ever since Labor Day, quieter times have arrived, so there are plenty of empty campsites right along shore.

It's a fine place to hang your hat, or hang out and savor the sun.

If the roadway flanking the Nehalem River has a number, I can't find it on a map. Perhaps that's why I've such a love affair with this backdoor byway.

It's more than forty miles long, so it takes a bit longer to get from this place to that.

Pull in to Nehalem Falls Campground and discover more campsites for a weekend stay.

A short hike will take you face to face with Nehalem Falls.

Nehalem Falls does so in a short twenty-yard stretch.

The water does handsprings over unseen rocks and there's a concrete fish ladder by its side.

But it's the river's rhythm that's a constant source of rest and relaxation on a byway where summertime is passing.

So hurry here soon - then slow down on a backroad without numbers and one of the finest around.

Directions to Fishhawk Falls and Jewell Wildlife Area:

Drive west of Portland on U.S. 26 for approximately 55 miles. At the junction about a half-mile past the Elderberry Inn, turn left and drive under the highway. Continue approximately ten miles to the town of Jewell. Just past the Jewell School, at the junction with Oregon 202, turn left and drive approximately one mile to Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area. Wheelchair-accessible viewpoints. Continue on Highway 202 another 2 miles to reach Lee Wooden Park.

Directions to Spruce Run Park and the Lower Nehalem River:

Travel west on U.S. 26 for approximately fifty-six miles to Elsie. Turn left on Lower Nehalem River Road for approximately 5.3 miles to Spruce Run County Park. Continue approximately eleven more miles to Nehalem Falls Forest Park.