Cummins Creek Research Natural Area Siuslaw National Forest , USFS Coast Range Ecoregion Cell(s): Sitka spruce/salmonberry Western hemlock/swordfern

Access by highway and forest road and trail

Cummins Creek Research Natural Area encompasses approximately 1,943 ha, four mile south of Yachats in Lane County, Oregon, and consists of the entire watersheds of Cummins and Gwynn Creeks. These coastal streams and their tributaries flow westward through steep, dissected hills and directly into the Pacific Ocean. Ridges surrounding the site separate the RNA from adjacent lands, and the area's elevations range from 12 m. to 732 m. The tract lies within both the Sitka spruce zone and the Western hemlock zone. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) forests dominate the western portion of the natural area while Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forests are more prominent in the eastern portion. Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) is common in the understory throughout the RNA, but swordfern is dominant in some well-drained upland sites, while salal is found along the upper ridges where conditions are more xeric. Riparian areas are dominated by red alder (Alnus rubra), which is seral to Sitka spruce and western hemlock. The trees in this RNA are of interest in that they exhibit some of the most rapid growth rates of trees in North America. The entire RNA is within the Drift Creek Wilderness area.