Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area, Seaside

Took Route 26 heading west to Route (103) north up to Jewel then west on Route (202) to the viewing area. I must say this is the first time coming out that way and the drive was very appealing. The parking area will be on the south side of the road (left side) heading to Astoria. The viewing area itself was super quiet, my brother an I were there today (August 20th, 2022). Lots of jays, some robins, a bunny, cooper hawk up high, lots of grass :). Bathrooms are available during the summer don’t know about other times of the year. It was pretty cool would deifinately need to take binoculars, a spotting scope or a camera with serious reach for wildlife photos. Plenty of information about the place. The drive up to Astoria is very pleasant. I would highly recommend this area. The road to Astoria from the viewing are is very windy and has super tight corners so drive slowly.

Admittedly this is written during the late fall, so things will likely be different in the warmer months. The viewing area is a very large meadow, and the herd we saw was beyond the paved pull-off areas on the shoulder of the road. There are no porta-potties or other lavatory facilities at any of the pull-off/parking areas, so that may factor into your viewing plans.

A wonderful way to wrap up the year. Saw 2 beautiful herds of elk.

We arrived for the daily 9am feeding and ended up seeing 3 herds of elk at 3 different viewpoints. It was a spectacular experience! With the pandemic, you need to purchase a wildlife parking permit online since the office is closed. The bathroom at the main viewpoint is open and very clean. You may want to bring binoculars for an even better animal viewing experience

As with most places regarding elk, your experience is largely dependent on the season. You are much less likey to see elk in the summer months than the other seasons. I've been here 2 times, once in early June, and another in October. The first time, in summer, I didn't see any elk, but there was still an abundance of wildlife around, from blacktailed deer to little songbirds, to large birds of prey and woodpeckers. It was a relaxing time. The second time, in autumn, I saw many of the same birds, then right as the sun went down the bull elk started bugling and dozens of elk of all ages came out onto the fields and started grazing. There was a little fighting, but it nostly stayed friendly between the multiple bulls. In all, I would recommend this as a good place to go year round if you are in the area and want to enjoy nature. If you love elk as much as I do, I would recommend traveling to this wildlife reserve in autumn and winter when you are almost guaranteed to see elk.