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Angler casts a fishing line while standing on rocks beside a flowing river, surrounded by tall evergreen trees and rocky cliffs under a bright, clear sky.
Fishing the North Santiam courtesy of Willamette Valley Visitors Association

North Santiam

Rural Tourism Studio

The North Santiam Rural Tourism Studio focused on the communities of the North Santiam River Canyon region in the Willamette Valley, including Aumsville, Scio, Stayton, Sublimity, Lyons, Mill City, Gates, Detroit and Idanha.

The North Santiam Rural Tourism Studio was developed in response to the destination’s desire to harness local tourism assets and develop a shared tourism vision for the region.

North Santiam Rural Tourism Studio highlights:

  • 89 local tourism stakeholders and residents participated in two workshops in March and April 2016. Workshop topics included Community Visioning, Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Travel and Tourism Action Planning. Workshop notes, presentations, outreach materials and other resources are available on the North Santiam Rural Tourism Studio Resources page.
  • Participants drafted a 15-Year Community Tourism Vision for the North Santiam River Canyon.
  • The North Santiam community received a $10,000 Tourism Studio Matching Grant from Travel Oregon to implement RiverFusion22, an event planned around the 2017 total solar eclipse, in 2017.

For more information about the North Santiam Rural Tourism Studio contact Allison Ford-McKenzie at North Santiam Economic Development Corporation.

Rural Tourism Studio

Workshops that help rural communities develop and offer high-value, authentic experiences to travelers—in a sustainable, manageable way.

Travel Oregon offers Rural Tourism Studios to help communities build their appeal as visitor destinations with on-the-ground guidance, training and support tailored to each destination’s unique offerings.

Learn more about the Rural Tourism Studio program and the Application Process.