A group of school children learn about Baskett Butte (cfm)

The fruit of Indian-plum (Oemelaria cerasiformis) can be found in the forest understory in late spring. (cfm)

Kincaid's lupine blooms in May on Baskett Butte (cfm)

• Hikes to this location:
  • Baskett Slough Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 44.9666, -123.2601
• Elevation: 470 feet

Description

Baskett Butte is a hill with three summits on the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge. The southern summit, Mt. Baldy, is 414 feet high, and its grassy expanse offers views over the southern part of the refuge. The middle summit si the highest point, but the crown of the hill is thickly forested. The eastern leg of the Rich Guadagno Memorial Loop Trail leads between the middle summit and northern summit.

Baskett Butte overlooks the vast wetlands that fill with migrating birds in the winter. The butte itself has been extensively "renaturalized" to the original upland prairie and oak savannah biomes from a century ago before agricultural practices began. After several years of aggressive removal of brush through burning and mowing, the native perennials are resurging.

Several threatened plants have been reintroduced to the new prairie habitat. Lupinus sulphureus var. kincaidii (Kincaid's lupine) has had a very successful return to the grassy balds and good populations now thrive there. The reintroduction of golden paintbrush, Castilleja levisecta has had much less success.

More Links

• Description of Kincaid's Lupine from the Oregon Native Plant Society

Contributors

• cfm (creator)