It's the Annual Willamette Valley Ornament Hunt
It’s time once again for one of our most beloved traditions: the eighth annual Willamette Valley Ornament Hunt, taking place across the Willamette National Forest.
Between November 21 and Dec. 20, 2025, two hundred locally-crafted wooden ornaments will be hidden along roughly 20 trails in both forests—where eagle-eyed hikers can seek them out and register to win this year’s grand prize, which includes a two-night getaway in the Willamette Valley.
Here’s where to find an ornament—and how to have fun this holiday season:
Where to Find an Ornament
This winter, we’ve teamed up with the Willamette National Forest and Cascade Volunteers to hide ornaments on roughly 20 trails across the Willamette Valley. Get ready by browsing our Ornament Hunt FAQ, learn more about Cascade Volunteers, and come back to see the full trail list on November 21, 2025!
In the meantime, here are the regions of the Willamette National Forest where ornaments will be hidden. Start planning your adventure now with ideas for where to eat, drink, stay, and play this holiday season!
Follow Highway 126 east of Eugene—and into the Cascade Range, where you'll see raging waterfalls and the thundering McKenzie River.
This forested corner of the Willamette Valley—between Detroit Lake, the McKenzie River, and the city of Albany—offers river views, waterfalls, and more.
Follow Highway 58 east of Eugene to enjoy quiet rivers and creeks, old-growth forests, and remote summits.
This region, in the Cascade Range east of Salem, centers around the Detroit Lake reservoir.
Tips For Having Fun and Staying Safe
At last, it’s time to find your ornament. Here are a few guidelines for your search:
We’ve placed ornaments all along trails—at eye level or lower—but never in places that require you to go off trail. Stay on marked trails at all times.
Veteran hikers should look for ornaments further along trails so less experienced visitors can grab more easily accessible ornaments.
Be sure to leave no trace to stay safe, protect our forests, and have the best possible experience.
Amenities, such as drinking water and restrooms, may not be available or maintained at your desired trailheads; be prepared for a self-supported trip when searching for an ornament.
Please take one ornament per household so fellow hikers can claim their own.
Share your adventure with us on social media by using the following hashtags: #FindYourOrnament, #FindYourTrail, #pnwonderland, and #willamettenationalforest
Curious to learn more? Check out our Ornament Hunt FAQ, which contains tips, resources, and answers to common questions.
For more information, read the sweepstakes rules for the Willamette Valley Ornament Hunt.
The Willamette Valley Visitors Association works to leave no trace in the outdoors and encourages all ornament hunters to do the same. All 200 ornaments have been tagged, and any remaining after the hunt concludes will be picked up by volunteers as soon as possible.
