Ruckel Creek-Rudolph Spur Trail Junction
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this location:
- Eagle-Benson Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Ruckel Ridge Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Rudolph Spur Loop Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Wahtum Lake via Ruckel Creek Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.64003, -121.86906
- Elevation: 3700 feet
Description
The Rudolph Spur Trail was once an official USFS trail carrying the number 405D. Unfortunately, the forest service stopped maintaining this trail years ago and it's gradually returning to nature. This junction can be difficult to locate, but is currently (Fall, 2012) marked by swathes of pink flagging tied around trees in the vicinity. It is about 50 yards south of the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness sign at the north end of the Benson Plateau. Locating the junction is one thing: finding the track across the plateau to descend the Gorge face is another. The Benson Plateau section of the Rudolph Spur Trail is not an easy part of that route to locate although there are yellow paint spots on trees that can be seen from both directions, and there may be flagging. Most hikers tackle Rudolph Spur from the bottom up and may end up hiking cross-country across the plateau's bear-grass, where they can lose the trail, to meet the Ruckel Creek Trail.
Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)
- bobcat