Mount Mitchell Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
Contents |
Info
- Trailhead: Mount Mitchell Trailhead
- End point Mount Mitchell
- Other destinations along the way: none
- Distance: 5.0 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 2025 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: April through October
- Family Friendly: Older Children (8 and up)
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Trip Reports
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Description
The hike to the summit of Mount Mitchell is a moderate climb through new forest to a rocky exposed butte with a majestic view. You gain about 2 1/2 miles in around 2000 feet of elevation...most of this accomplished in the first mile through a series of switchbacks.
The first 1/4 of the hike is muddy and flat, but then gains elevation quicky. You enter a young thin forest with a high canopy. There are a series of switchbacks, alternating between steep and gentle grades and a rocky pathway.
Just before you really start to feel it, the pathway eases up, flattens out and straightens as it heads South along the East side of the mountain. The trail here is soft on the feet and well travelled.
Before long you cross a few small dried up creek crossings, and some short exposed areas. You may see an unmarked sidetrail off to the left. Disregard this and continue straight. Soon you will hit your first real lookout: a small rocky crag overlooking the Souixon Valley and an unnamed peak to the East with a large unapologetic clear cut and radio towers at its summit. This is a good place to power up with some water and Cliff's bars.
You'll now start the last leg of the journey, which continues straight for a while. Keep an eye uphill to your right, as hints of the rocky summit will come into view (false summits of course!), but soon your path will backs around the southern flank of the mountain and incline quickly through a series of switchbacks (sandwiched between two seasonal creeks). As you ascend the thick forest begins to give way to meadows, and the southern horizon with come into view. On a clear day you will see Mt Hood to the Southest and a seemingly twin-peaked Silver Star Mt due South.
Now the trail opens up to a large meadow, and the temperature cools. Seeing the rocky butte at the summit gives you a second life. Keep you eyes to the left (Northward) as you'll see your first hints of the reward for your climb. When you finally get to the outcrop you'll scramble up the rock a bit until you finally reach the exposed summit with a glorious 360 degree view!
You will be treated to a first-class view of Mount St. Helens. If you are fortunate you may see the stream rising from above it's crater. Mt. Rainier is visible just behind to the fight and Swift Reservoir in the foreground. Follow the reservoir out to the East (to the right) and you'll see a stately Mount Adams. Turn around 180 degrees and follow your eyes out past the trail you just took up and see nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. (There is a spur trail out to that lesser peak)
Look for the logbook under the rocks near the benchmark enclosed in a plastic container.
This hike takes about two hours to climb and about an hour to return back. .
Maps
See Topozone map
Active Conversations / Q&A
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Fees, Regulations, etc.
No fees or passes required at this trailhead