Tumala Mountain from South Fork Saddle Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Old Baldy West Trailhead
- End point: Tumala Mountain
- Hike type: Out and Back
- Distance: 3.0 miles round-trip
- Elevation gain: 1025 feet
- High point: 4,770 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: Summer into Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Description
The South Fork Eagle Creek arises in a marshy bowl below a saddle on the Old Baldy Ridge between Githens and Tumala Mountains. There are three directions to go from the Old Baldy West Trailhead on the saddle: north and steeply down to Eagle Creek on the Eagle Creek Cutoff Trail; or west or east on the Old Baldy Trail. The latter option is the shortest route to the top of Tumala Mountain, formerly Squaw Mountain, the site of an old lookout with commanding views up and down the Cascades. This short hike can be combined with other options in the area: the Eagle Creek Cutoff Hike, the Old Baldy Hike, the White Iris-Bissell Trail Loop Hike, or as a hike and bike with the Fanton Trail to Tumala Mountain Hike: leave a bike at the Old Baldy West Trailhead and then hike to Tumala Mountain via the Fanton Trail, returning to the saddle to mount your bike for a downhill ride to your car.
Head in the from the trailhead and go right on the Old Baldy Trail. After 70 yards, where the trail begins to rise, reach the Old Baldy-Eagle Creek Cutoff Trail Junction. Keep straight (right) and pass a Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness sign and a new sign for the Old Baldy Trail #502. Wind up a steep slope in a carpet of oxalis, and then ascend more gradually in old growth forest along a ridge crest of silver and noble fir. Pass through a carpet of avalanche lilies that bloom here in the late spring and reach the top of a knoll. Drop steeply to a saddle, where you'll encounter the Old Baldy-Fanton Trail Junction.
Go right here to head gradually up the ridgecrest in a bear-grass carpet for 0.6 miles. In a thicket of rhododendrons, reach the unmarked Old Baldy-Tumala Mountain Trail Junction. Go straight to head south towards Tumala Mountain, and soon get the first views of Mount Hood at an open ridge. The trail comes to a gravel road near the summit. Turn left on the road and walk the short distance to the actual summit of Tumala Mountain. (Some maps still refer to this as "Squaw" Mountain. In 2007, the peak was officially renamed Tumala Mountain by the Board on Geographic Names during a campaign to eradicate the offensive word "squaw" from maps. Tumala is Chinook Jargon for "the afterlife" or "tomorrow.") There's a set of stairs here that once formed the entry to a fire lookout. Wildflowers adorn the peak in the early summer. You'll have great views of Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson, as well as an expansive view to the west into the Willamette Valley. Be sure to explore around the summit for more views. This is the turn around point.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Old Baldy Trail #502 (USFS)
- Green Trails Maps: Fish Creek Mtn, OR #492
- Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, Bull of the Woods Wilderness, Opal Creek Wilderness, Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Clackamas River Ranger District
- Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North: Trail Map & Hiking Guide
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Tumala Mountain from South Fork Saddle Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Tumala Mountain from South Fork Saddle Hike
- New trail signs at Old Baldy, Eagle Cutoff are flipped
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- 105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
More Links
- Old Baldy Trail #502 (USFS)
- Old Baldy Trail 502 (Trail Advocates)
- “Clackamas County will rename Squaw Mountain and other landmarks” (The Oregonian)
- Sheepshead Rock, Plaza Lake, and Tumala Mt. – 07/15/2023 (wanderingyuncks)
- Misadventures in Hiking (Linda's Lens)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)