Westlake County Park Boat Ramp, Darlings Marina, Ada Fish Resort, Ada County Park, and Nightingales Fishing Camp

Siltcoos Lake is the largest of the Florence Oregon Coastal lakes, covering 3,164 acres. It drains into the Siltcoos River, which meanders through the dunes for about three miles to the Pacific Ocean. A dam on the river, which allows portage for kayaks, regulates the water flow and fallen trees or submerged logs keep paddlers alert. It was formed in the Siltcoos River delta when ice flows slowed the river and the deposited sediment formed the dunes, impeding the flow of the river. Water flows into Siltcoos from four small creeks, including Woahink Creek which drains from neighboring Woahink Lake to the north. The lake is shallow with plenty of shoals; most of it is less than 15 feet deep. The name is from the local Tribes, the Siuslaw (Sha’yuushtl’a) and Lower Umpqua (Quuiich), who found it to be a great source for fishing for salmon and sturgeon. Siltcoos River formed the boundary of the tribal lands.

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The Siltcoos River Water Trail is celebrated as a three-mile corridor connecting the Oregon Coast's largest lake to the Pacific Ocean through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Historically, this waterway was the ancestral home of the Siuslaw and Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh) people, whose villages lined these shores for millennia before they were forcibly removed to reservations in 1860. During the early 20th century, the river and lake became centers for pioneer homesteading and industry, notably through the Danish immigrant Neil Christensen, who used barges and a nearby railroad hub at Siltcoos Station to transport timber and local produce. Today, the trail offers a gentle, tidally influenced environment for paddlers, featuring a small dam portage and unique views of shifting dunes and wildlife like river otters and snowy plovers.

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The unincorporated community of Ada and the adjacent Fiddle Creek serve as a scenic, protected gateway to Siltcoos Lake and offers a sheltered, freshwater environment ideal for exploring miles of winding, shallow waterways that are less impacted by the intense coastal winds found on the main lake. Fiddle Creek remains a vital sanctuary for diverse wildlife, including Roosevelt elk and bald eagles, while preserving the tranquil atmosphere of its 19th-century roots. Ada was founded in 1892 and named after Ada Wilkes, a daughter of early settlers, the area remains one of Oregon's rare palindromic place names and was a historical hub for pioneer homesteading and orcharding.