Quartzville Drive

Quartzville Creek is a 28-mile (45 km) tributary of the Middle Santiam River in Linn County in Oregon. It is paralleled by the Quartzville Back Country Byway and used for recreation, including camping, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and gold panning. The lower 12 miles (19 km) of the creek, from the Willamette National Forest boundary to Green Peter Reservoir, was designated Wild and Scenic in 1988. The creek received its name because of large quartz formations that have been found in this area. A 9.6-mile portion of the creek on a single lane paved roadway is the most famous for white water rafting, recreational mining, fishing, and swimming.
There are many safe pools for wading and swimming along the Quartzville Drive and the most of them are astonishingly beautiful. The bright green calm or rushing waters are surrounded by moss-covered rocks and cliff walls. The river water is always cold even in the peak summer season.