Rock garden on the summit of Marys Peak

take this trail down from the summit

glacier lily

• Start point: Marys Peak Summit Trailhead
• End point: Marys Peak
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Hike Type: Loop
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Elevation gain: 400 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: April through October
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

From the parking area for the Marys Peak Summit Trailhead, begin by heading south up the gravel service road that begins near the restrooms. You will be surrounded by the vast summit meadows on either side. Glacier lilies appear here as soon as the snows recede in the spring, and by early summer, the meadows will be filled with wildflowers and butterflies-peak display is usually late June through early July.

In a quarter mile, you will pass an access trail to the Marys Peak Meadow Edge Hike. You'll be crossing here on your return trip. After passing through some trees, you soon reach the steep south facing rock gardens and the views open up to the west. You will soon feel like your are on the set of "The Sound of Music". If the weather is clear, you should be able to see the ocean to the west and the snow topped Cascade summits line up on the eastern horizon. On very good visibility days, it is possible to see from Mt Rainier in the north to Diamond Peak in the south. Just try to ignore those ugly communication towers.

After enjoying the panorama, look on the north side of the summit for a double track down through the meadow (see image on the right). Take this trail down and you will enter the woods and join part of the Meadow Edge Loop trail. Go right at a junction, and you will soon reach the gravel road you hiked up. Stay on the trail and cross the road, so you can head back down through the east meadow

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder

Regulations or Restrictions, etc.

A Northwest Forest Pass is needed to park at the Summit Parking area. You can purchase it on site.

Trip Reports

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Guidebooks that cover this hike

• Corvallis Trails , by Margie C. Powell
• 100 Hikes, Oregon Coast, by William L. Sullivan

More Links

Contributors

• cfm (creator)