Other Hiking and Backpacking
Excursions in Oregon
Deschutes County
Paulina Peak: This is a moderate, 8 mile round-trip hike. The trail leaves from near Paulina Lake and climbs about 1,500 feet to 7,985 foot Paulina Peak. For the most part, the hike actually follows along the rim of a caldera. Paulina Peak is the highest point on the rim of the caldera and inside the caldera, also know as Newberry Crater, are two lakes. I did this hike in mid-June and there was still significant snow on the ground. After about two miles I lost the trail in the snow and ended up blazing my own trail over the next two miles to the summit. Along the way there were beatiful views of Paulina Lake below. Once you get near the summit, the views of East Lake start to improve. At the summit you have a nice 360 degree view. You can see the Three Sisters, Bachelor, etc., and you can get a better idea of the size of Newberry Crater. You also get to see some awesome lava flows. There is a road that goes to the top of this peak, but it was still closed due to the snow when I was there.
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10
South Sister and Moraine Lake: This is a strenuous 12.5 mile in-and-out hike to the summit of the 3rd highest mountain in Oregon, with a short side trip to Moraine Lake. The trail immediately starts climbing at a pretty good rate, ascending about 1,300 feet in the first 1.75 miles. It then levels off for about a mile as it passes just above Moraine Lake. From there, it is up hill the rest of the way. The trail is easy to follow the entire way in good weather, but in the fog there is a couple of bends in the trail that are hard to pick up. As you continue to climb the trail becomes a little more lose and you start to get into some scree. This only adds to the difficulty of the trail. At one point you gain a ridgeline with a beautiful turquoise pool just on the other side. The trail continues up the ridge and will start wrapping around the west side of the mountain through the volcanic rock. At the top, you come to a large bowl that is typically snow covered through much of the year. There is a path that leads straight across it to the other side (the official summit), or you can follow the edge of the bowl north or south. From the official summit there are tremendous views of several lakes in the areas as well as Middle Sister, North Sister, and Broken Top Mountains. Heading back down the trail there are a couple short trails that will lead you down to Moraine Lake. This trail is best done in the early morning to avoid the large crowds and also lessen the likelihood of getting caught at the summit when a summer thunderstorm moves in. Pictures of this hike can be seen in the video below.
Rating: 10/10
Rating: 10/10
Green Lakes Trail: This was a moderate, 13 mile in-and-out hike in which I actually went a little ways past Green Lakes to a plateau area where there are awesome views of all three Sisters and Broken Top Mountain. The trail climbs relatively gradually along Fall Creek. Along the way there are some beautiful small waterfalls. After about 2 miles there is another trail that goes off to the left that gives you the option to go to Moraine Lake or even climb South Sister. Stay straight to continue to Green Lakes. From here it is about 2.25 miles before you get to the first Green Lake and where the trail levels off. Continue on and the trail goes along the east side of the largest Green Lake and just beyond that, it passes on the west side of Upper Green Lake. At this point the trail starts climbing again, but this time around it is a little steeper. From here it is only about another mile to the plateau area with the viewpoint. On the way back down make sure you take the trail that follows the shoreline on the south side of the main Green Lake. This area is all day use only, but there are some great picnic areas as you enjoy the views of the Lake and South Sister immediately west of the Lake.
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10
Lane County
Sweet Creek Trail: This is an easy 6 mile round trip hike along Sweet Creek, a tributary of the Siuslaw River. On this 3 mile stretch of trail, you go past 11 different waterfalls. The trail itself is very beautiful with some cool engineering feats, but the creek is even more beautiful. The only bad thing about this trail is you have to use two different trailheads to cover the whole thing, or hike a long the road for a little bit. I ended up using the two different trail heads (the northern most and the southern most). Most of the waterfalls are small, but they are all unique and peaceful. One section of the trail ends at Sweet Creek Falls, which is the biggest fall along this section of the creek. There is actually two drops for Sweet Creek Falls and they make kind of a spiral shape around the rocks, so it is difficult to see the waterfall in its entirety. The Upper part of the fall flows through a narrow crevasse in the rock before crashing into a deep pool below. From the southern most trailhead you can hike down the other side of the river for a short distance and also get a view of Sweet Creek Falls from the other side. From the trailhead you can also head the opposite direction on the trail which leads to Beaver Creek Falls. Beaver Creek Falls is unique in that it is actually two creeks that merge mid-waterfall. It's only about a 15-20 foot drop, but very pretty.
Mink Lake area: This was a moderate 26.25 mile in-and-out hike that incorporated several trails. Although the trailhead is actually in Deschutes County, most of the hiking was actually done in Lane County. I came in on Six Lakes trail and went past Blow Lake and Doris Lake, both of which are very pretty. After several miles I crossed the PCT on to Mink Lake Trail. From here, I went past Goose Lake and then took a right onto another trail before shortly coming to Corner Lake. At Corner Lake I took a left onto McBee Trail, passed Plumb Lake, and reached the very beautiful Juntion Lake. At Junction Lake I took another left onto Lakeside Trail. Lakeside Trail goes by shallow Martin Lake before coming to the crystal Clear Mink Lake. Mink Lake is the largest lake in the immediate area as well as the prettiest. It's distance from any roads keeps it relatively secluded. Rhododendrons line the banks on the south side of the lake, but unfortunately, they were not still in bloom when I got there. From Mink Lake I followed the Lakeside Trail to the PCT and headed back north a little ways until I reached Porky Lake Trail, and headed west to Porky Lake. Porky Lake wasn't too impressive so I turned around, went back to the PCT and headed north, and then back out the Six Lakes Trail. Pictures from this hike can be found in the "Summer Trip '15 part 1" video posted Under Deschutes County for the South Sister and Moraine Lake hike.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
Lincoln County
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area: There are actually several trails in this area that are all relatively short, so I decided to group them all together. Some of these trails are actually in Lane County, but I listed it under Lincoln County because that is where the majority of the scenic area is located. There are a few strenuous stretches of trail, but for the most part, the trails are easy to moderate. Over a two day period, I ended up hiking 26.5 miles which included at least a part of every trail in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area and several of the features along the shoreline. Most of the trails are pretty similar looking. The area is predominately evergreen forest with moss and ferns covering much of the ground. There are several creeks in the area that trails cross or parallel. Some of the trails have outstanding view points of the area below. One of these view points is at the top of Cummins Creek Trails and overlooks the majority of the Cummins Creek watershed. The other one is at the Whispering Spruce trailhead. You can drive to this viewpoint or take the Saint Perpetua Trail up to it, which is what I did. From the viewpoint you have outstanding views of the ocean and Devil's Churn.
The features along the shoreline is what brought me to this area. In addition to Devil's Churn that was mentioned above, this area also has Cooks Chasm, Spouting horn, and Thor's Well. All of these can be seen by doing about a 2.5 mile round trip hike. This can be a very dangerous area, especially during high tide. Unfortunately, high tide is typically the best time to view these features.
Rating: 10/10
The features along the shoreline is what brought me to this area. In addition to Devil's Churn that was mentioned above, this area also has Cooks Chasm, Spouting horn, and Thor's Well. All of these can be seen by doing about a 2.5 mile round trip hike. This can be a very dangerous area, especially during high tide. Unfortunately, high tide is typically the best time to view these features.
Rating: 10/10
Harris Ranch Trail: This is a easy to moderate (easy on the way in, moderate on the way out) 7.5 mile in and out hike in the Drift Creek Wilderness. The trail starts about 1,440 feet slowly drops down to Drift Creek ( a tributary of the Alsea River) at an elevation of about 160 feet. Most of this area is a mixed forest with several different varieties of evergreen and deciduous trees. The ground cover is predominately fern, but there are also several flowering bushes, and Stinging Nettles. The forest is pretty thick, so there is not a whole lot of viewing through the trees. Most of the trail follows along the side of a ridge, but as you get closer to the bottom, things start to level out. Just before getting to Drift Creek there is a bridge that crosses a marsh area. Between the marsh area and the creek there are several small open spots in the forest for camping and picnicking. The trail comes to an end at the creek, but there is a short unofficial trail that follows the creek downstream with camping spots along the way. The creek is very pretty, and is very good size for a creek. The moss covered trees that line the banks add to the beauty. Although I was here in the spring when it was raining, I imagine this would be a very peaceful place to camp in the summer months.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
Linn County
Mt. Jefferson - South Ridge: Though Mt. Jefferson is right on the border with Linn County and Jefferson County the majority of this hike took place in Linn County. This is a very strenuous 22 mile round trip hike to the summit of Oregon's second highest mountain. Most people take two days to do this hike, but I did it in one long, exhausting day. This hike starts at the Pamelia Lake trailhead. This is a limited entry area, so permits must be purchased several weeks, or even months, in advance. Follow the trail past Pamelia Lake and then take a left to get to the PCT. At the PCT head south (right). Follow the PCT south for several miles until you get to Shale Lake and another small Lake/pond. Head off trail to the left between these two lakes. Behind Shale Lake you can pick up a faint trail. It took me about an hour of wandering around before I actually found it. This is an unofficial trail. It is very dangerous and Good route finding skills are a must. After about a mile off trail you come to a large boulder field and the trail becomes very difficult to follow. The trail is just to the right of the boulders in some very steep scree. This section of trail is very difficult to navigate and very time consuming. Once you get to the top of the boulder field, just follow the ridge line the rest of the way. However, it is still very steep and loose. As you climb it gets steeper and more difficult to navigate safely. Eventually, you will make it to the base of the pinnacle, which is as far as I made it. Very few people attempt the pinnacle without climbing gear. I was going to look for a way that I could get to the top without climbing gear, but I ran out of time. All things considered, I can easily say that this is the most dangerous hike I've ever done. But I hope to return some day and attempt to make it to the top of the pinnacle. Pictures from this hike can be seen in the video below.
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10
Marion County
Jefferson Park: This was a moderate day hike in which I covered a little over 20 miles, but you can do it much shorter if you want. Though the trailhead is actually in Linn County, most of the hike is in Marion County I went in from Woodpecker Ridge trailhead and then headed south once I got on the PCT. There was a small section of PCT I had not covered before so I wanted to complete that section. Once I got to the Pamelia Lake Junction I turned around and headed back north and continued past Woodpecker Ridge. After a few miles there is another trail junction which is another reasonable option for getting into Jefferson Park. After about another mile you come to Jefferson Park. The beauty of this place is amazing. The views of Mt. Jefferson are incredible, and the lakes are absolutely beautiful. It's hard to just stay for a day. Camping is allowed, but permits must be obtained months ahead of time for the peak season. I continued on the trail to the north end of Jefferson Park at Russell Lake. From there I headed back south taking the different side trails to the various lakes. I finally gathered enough will-power to get out of there and return down the PCT and back down Woodpecker ridge.
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10
Wallowa County
Hurricane Creek Trail and Lakes Basin: I stopped in the Eagle Cap Wilderness on my way to Glacier N.P. because it looked pretty from pictures I had seen. The pictures were wrong, this place is beyond pretty. The Eagle Cap Wilderness is quite possibly the most beautiful place I've ever been. This was a moderate to strenuous 32 mile hike that I did. The trail starts at about 5,200 feet and follows hurricane creek as it gradually gains elevation. Along the trail are several small waterfalls. There are also excellent views of the surrounding mountains including the Matterhorn, and Sacajawea Peak. When I was there I got to see the aftermath of an avalanche and a mud slide from the previous spring. The avalanche had trees stacked about 10 feet deep in the trail. The trail crews had already removed most of the logs from the trail at this point, but they were still doing some work, the old fashioned way, when I went through. On horseback and using nothing but handtools, the amount of work that they had put in was obvious. The aftermath of the mud slide made a tunnel that Hurricane Creek ran through.
The trail goes past a few old cabins and continues to climb as it makes it's way to the basin. After about 11 miles the trail comes to a pass at about 7,700 feet. From the pass there are excellent views of Eagle Cap Peak. As you get closer, you will gain views of Mirror Lake with Eagle Cap Peak directly behind it. The trail comes to a junction where you head east for the lakes basin. There are a few trails that interweave through the basin so I decided to make a figure-8 pattern so I wouldn't have to re-trace the same section of trail on the way out. There are 6 lakes that I went by, with Mirror, Moccasin, and Horsehoe Lakes being the prettiest. Once I got through the basin, it was time to head back down Hurricane Creek to the trailhead.
This hike was done on day 1 of a trip in which I still had about 150 miles of trail in Eagle Cap Wilderness and Glacier N.P. that I planned on hiking. Unfortunately, it was during this 32 mile hike that I ruptured the sheath on my Achilles Tendon. Pictures from this hike can be seen in the video below.
Rating: 10/10
The trail goes past a few old cabins and continues to climb as it makes it's way to the basin. After about 11 miles the trail comes to a pass at about 7,700 feet. From the pass there are excellent views of Eagle Cap Peak. As you get closer, you will gain views of Mirror Lake with Eagle Cap Peak directly behind it. The trail comes to a junction where you head east for the lakes basin. There are a few trails that interweave through the basin so I decided to make a figure-8 pattern so I wouldn't have to re-trace the same section of trail on the way out. There are 6 lakes that I went by, with Mirror, Moccasin, and Horsehoe Lakes being the prettiest. Once I got through the basin, it was time to head back down Hurricane Creek to the trailhead.
This hike was done on day 1 of a trip in which I still had about 150 miles of trail in Eagle Cap Wilderness and Glacier N.P. that I planned on hiking. Unfortunately, it was during this 32 mile hike that I ruptured the sheath on my Achilles Tendon. Pictures from this hike can be seen in the video below.
Rating: 10/10
East Fork Wallowa River Trail: This was a strenuous 19 mile in and out hike I did. I was originally planning on doing about 28 miles and crossing Tenderfoot Pass, Polaris Pass and then going back down on the West Fork Wallowa River Trail. I ended up turning back at Tenderfoot Pass because my ankle was throbbing from tearing the sheath on my Achilles Tendon the day before. Immediately, this trail starts climbing. It starts at about 4,700 feet and climbs to about 5,700 feet in the first 2 miles before coming to a small dam. The dam doesn't hold back a lot of water, but there is a small pond there and a cabin on the other side of it. Just after the dam is where the trail actually passes into the wilderness area. The trail keeps climbing for another 3.5 miles before coming to the small and shallow looking Roger Lake. Not long after this lake there is a spur trail that takes off to the right that follows along the shore of beautiful Aneroid Lake and goes back to a few little cabins that sit on private property. Just beyond Aneroid Lake on the main trail you will come to a nice meadow area. This is a good spot to see wildlife. I was able to spot a Golden Eagle in this area. The trail continues to climb and on the way you have great views of Aneroid Mountain (9,702 ft). Finally, you make it to Tenderfoot Pass at about 8,500 feet, and have excellent views all around. Pete's Point (9,675 feet) is especially impressive. From here, it's all down hill getting back to the trailhead. Pictures from this hike can be seen in the video above.
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10