Silver Star Mountain via Starway Trail Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Starway Trailhead
- End point: Silver Star Mountain
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: Out and Back
- Distance: 9.8 miles (round trip)
- Elevation gain: 2790 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: May through November
- Backpackable: Yes
- (camp site options are limited)
- Crowded: No
- Family Friendly: No
Contents |
Hike Description
Silver Star Mountain is one of the best 360-degree summits within a day's drive of Portland, boasting a rocky, exposed viewpoint of five major cascade volcanoes. It is also a great wildflower area in the spring, and has tons of huckleberries in the fall. Further, there are enough unique and sometimes fanciful rock outcrops along your journey that you'll wish you brought a geologist along!
This hike is an option to the three most established Silver Star hikes: The Grouse Vista Trail, Silver Star Trail #180 and Bluff Mountain Trail.
The official trailhead at Copper Creek is the spot where gated FR4107 branches off from FR41. The gate is usually closed but never locked and it is possible to drive down FR4107 to Copper Creek as the road is no worse than FR41 (which is pretty bad).
The hike starts out on road 4107. About 1/4 mile from road 41, take the Starway trail which goes up from the road first crossing Copper Creek on a very solidly constructed bridge. On the other side of the bridge turn left (east) and start the climb on the decommissioned FR4107 road. About a 1/4 mile east of the bridge, the Starway trail branches off to the right (south), practically reversing direction, climbing steeply up the side of the ridge. The FR4107 road continues east crossing Copper Creek a couple of times and is an interesting side trip to some old mining claims.
The first half of the Starway Trail is very steep but the trail is broad and very easy to follow.
There are remnants of a crudely constructed shelter at the point where the trail degenerates into a bushwhack. Not too difficult to follow the trail from here as there are pink ribbons here and there for routing hints. Note that the section from this point to the junction with the Bluff Mountain Trail is not recommended for beginners or folks who like a discernible trail as it is a bushwhack.
About a 1/4 mile beyond the shelter is the first opening providing views.
Where the Starway Trail ends, go right on the Bluff Mountain Trail. Go 0.8 miles to where it ends at the Silver Star Trail #180. Go left another 0.2 mile to another junction then left again for about 0.2 mile to the summit of Silver Star.
Carefully see where you came from, so on the return trip you don't get lost. It would be easy to go down the wrong trail and end up miles away from your car.
The summit of Silver Star provides excellent views of surrounding Cascade volcanoes and other sites, see Silver Star via Bluff Mountain Hike.
Maps
- See clickable image to the right
- Maps: Hike Finder
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Silver Star Mountain via Starway Trail Hike
- Silver Star's twin falls and the "Chasm" Sun Jul 20, 2008
- Starway to Falls on Star Creek - 7/6/08
- Starway Trail to Silver Star Mountain - June 29, 2008
- Starway #175 - Nov 23, 2007
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Silver Star Mountain via Starway Trail Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Off the Beaten Trail by Matt Reeder