The view from Grizzly Peak (Cheryl Hill)

• Start point: Grizzly Peak Trailhead
• End point: Ashland Viewpoint
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Hike Type: Loop
• Distance: 5.4 miles
• Elevation gain: 750750 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Seasons: Summer and Fall
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No

Hike Description

Grizzly Peak is right in Ashland's backyard. It's an easily-accessible and family-friendly hike. Wildflowers bloom in abundance in June, and the views are wonderful (especially after much of the western slope was burnt in the 2002 East Antelope Fire), so pick a clear day for this hike. (Most guidebooks say that this hike is doable starting in mid-May. Unless the winter and spring had an average or low snowpack, this will not be the case and you will encounter large patches of snow on the trail if you attempt this hike before early June.)

Before heading up the trail, be sure to check out the view to the east, because the views on the hike itself are all to the west. You can easily see Mt. McLoughlin and on a really clear day you can see the Three Sisters.

Head up the trail, which switchbacks up through the forest. In June you will see a variety of wildflowers. At 1.2 miles, you will reach the loop junction. You can go either way since this is a loop, but if you go right then you can save the best views for last.

After 0.3 mile, you will reach the official Grizzly Peak Summit. Don't blink or you might miss it! It's little more than a pile of rocks. It is unsigned and there are no views, so don't worry if you miss it.

Continue through the forest. You will skirt the edge of a large meadow and soon the trail will pass near a cliff with decent views. Keep going, though, and hike through the burn and soon reach the Burn Viewpoint. You'll have good views to the southwest, west, and northwest, and you can see hundreds of burnt snags on the slopes below you.

Even better views can be had, so hike onward through the burn. At the Ashland Viewpoint the views are incredible, encompassing Mt. Shasta, Pilot Rock, Mt. Ashland, the town of Ashland, and more.

After soaking up the views, continue on the loop. You'll keep walking through the burn, then eventually re-enter the forest. You'll soon reach the loop junction where you'll continue straight to head back to your car.

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder

Trip Reports

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Related Discussions / Q&A

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Guidebooks that cover this hike

• 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon - by William L. Sullivan
• Oregon's Best Wildflower Hikes, Southwest Region by Elizabeth L. Horn

More Links

• See more information at [1]
• See more information at [2]

Contributors

• justpeachy (creator)