Cedar Grove Botanical Area Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Cedar Grove Trailhead
- Ending Point: Cedar Grove Trailhead
- Trail Log:
- Hike Type: Out-and-back
- Distance: 1.7 miles
- Elevation gain: 550 feet
- High Point: 5,886 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer, and Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
This short hike passes through a stand of Alaska yellow cedar. The tree is common in Alaska and British Columbia but this isolated stand in the Aldrich Mountains is a remnant from a time when the climate here was wetter and cooler. The 2006 Shake Table Complex Fires burned right up to the edge of this stand of trees, but firefighters managed to keep the fire from burning through here.
Cross the road and head down the trail. After 0.1 mile you will reach a wire fence. Unhook the gate, walk through, and relatch it behind you. Pass a wooden sign and start descending (yes, you lose elevation on the way in, and regain it on the way back to your car). At 0.6 miles you will pass through a meadow where wildflowers bloom in early summer, including balsamroot and larkspur. You will also encounter the first of a series of old interpretive signs about local flora and fauna.
At 0.8 miles you’ll reach a junction where you will go straight. Cross the outflow of a little spring, then cross it again. You are now at the lowest point of the hike, having lost 500 feet. Finish the lollipop loop and rejoin the trail, turning left to retrace your steps back to your car.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- None.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Cedar Grove Botanical Area Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Cedar Grove Botanical Area Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
More Links
- Cedar Grove Botanical Area (USFS)
- Cedar Grove Trail #2013A (USFS)
- Wildflowers of the Cedar Grove National Scenic Trail #203A
- In Oregon, a mysterious tree grove conjures a colder time
Page Contributors
- justpeachy (creator)