Arising from the western slopes of Scar Mountain inside the National Monument, Quartzville Creek flows west through the old Cascades to join the Middle Santiam at Green Peter Lake just outside the Monument boundaries. The Quartzville Creek Nation Backcountry Byway follows the creek. Visitors to Quartzville Creek enjoy seeing a unique, colorful combination of old-growth stands, cascading whitewater, water clarity, rocky outcrops and diverse vegetation of conifers and hardwoods. Much of the older forest along the byway is managed by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service to provide habitat for plant and animal species that rely on old-growth forest characteristics. While the Backcountry Byway stays close to the creek along most of the protected section, along the upper, as yet unprotected (but included by Senators Wyden and Merkley) section, the road strays further from the creek imparting a wilder character and giving more isolation for wildlife.
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