Field herping in OR/WA

[Jonnayz]

Hey y'all!
While I've been on the forums for many years and have been herping casually for 25+ years, I'm looking for suggestions for decent spots! Most of my go-tos these days end up being off-limits, overcrowded, or plainly just a ways out. Any suggestions (public or private) for areas with good species diversity? I've been looking for Ensatina but so far have gotten skunked every time, don't know if it's time of year or where I'm looking. Also willing to tag along on any trips happening soon! I live in Portland, so anything within an hour or two drive of that is very achievable.

 

[GA Science Teacher]

You'd probably appreciate my site on hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities in Columbia County, immediately west/north of Portland. There's a heavy herping emphasis.

Wild Columbia County

Enjoying the outdoors in Columbia County, Oregon

wildcolumbia.org

I've always found it a lot more productive to look for particular habitats than to name particular spots. Ensatina can be found in any forest with downed wood, but they seem to prefer Douglas Fir quite a bit over hardwoods. They're typically not near streams or ponds - other species tend to outcompete them there. Season is essential - they tend to be found in the rainy parts of fall and spring and start becoming scarce by late spring. You won't find many in temperatures under 40 or over 80, or if there was a hard frost the night before, or if it hasn't rained recently. If conditions and habitat are right and you search long enough, it seems almost impossible not to find them. We documented 100+ sites in Columbia County alone, spread across every single part of it other than the river bottomlands.

In terms of finding access to land, pretty much any city or state park with natural habitat is good, you just have to stay away from peak recreation hours. If your schedule limits you to those hours, then look on Google Earth for forest habitat and just drive it until you find a legitimate access point. Many logging companies allow people to walk the lands they own (Weyerhaeuser specifically forces you to buy a permit first though), you just have to check the gates on the logging road to see what the rules are for that particular plot. An application like OnX will tell you who owns every plot of land without having to drive there.

Feel free to ask about any other species you're interested in.