Isn't that Plaza Creek trail 506? http://www.trailadvocate.org/?page_id=100   Don 2

I had seen cut logs along the bench above the Roaring River on the Cougar Creek Trail heading west towards Plaza Creek, but haven't had the time to follow it out. Not too many people venture off into the Roaring River Wilderness in this area for lack of established trails. Don

Donovan said Isn't that Plaza Creek trail 506? http://www.trailadvocate.org/?page_id=100

  I guess you are correct!  I don't know what threw me, maybe I just wasn't looking close enough - Since the lower section of the Plaza Creek trail is really pretty much unknown, I guess the sharp turn east threw me a bit.  Also, all the "Plaza xxx" trails are rather confusing (Plaza trail, Plaza Creek trail, Plaza Lake trail).  Where is this "Plaza" all this stuff is named for?

Donald Presley said I had seen cut logs along the bench above the Roaring River on the Cougar Creek Trail heading west towards Plaza Creek, but haven't had the time to follow it out. Not too many people venture off into the Roaring River Wilderness in this area for lack of established trails

Not only that, it is a LONG ways down into that canyon!  And the trip back up is difficult and tiring!

My theory on the Plaza Creek Trail is that it turned east well above the river. But campers dove off it and created a "way" down to the creek for fishing. I have heard it refered to by older folks as a fisherman's trail. So that could explain why explorers loose it on the way down.  Myself, I have only been able to follow tread part way.   Don 2

About 1,000 years ago Don1 and I cleared it down pretty low, probably 1/4 mile to the river.  It gets really open and brushy down there.  It's a light trail all the way down too, not much tread in new growth.

Yeah you guys were too far west and close to the creek.  The trail headed more easterly as it got towards the bottom, there's kinda a flat in that area.  There is a 1950s Oregonian article that Paul posted that shows the trails pretty accurately. That area was pretty well burnt by the 30s, so the trails must have been wide open at that point.