Difference between revisions of "Saddle Mountain Hike"
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[[Category:Northwest Oregon]] | [[Category:Northwest Oregon]] | ||
[[Category:Coast Range]] | [[Category:Coast Range]] | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Oregon State Parks]] |
| + | [[Category:Former Lookouts]] | ||
[[Category:Viewpoint Hikes]] | [[Category:Viewpoint Hikes]] | ||
[[Category:Wildflower Hikes]] | [[Category:Wildflower Hikes]] | ||
[[Category:Geologic Features]] | [[Category:Geologic Features]] | ||
[[Category:Moderate Hikes]] | [[Category:Moderate Hikes]] | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Crowded Hikes]] |
[[Category:Hikes]] | [[Category:Hikes]] | ||
| − | |||
| + | [[Image:TKO put tools to trail here.png|400px|right]] | ||
[[Image:Saddlesummit.jpg|thumb|400px|The saddle and summit of Saddle Mountain ''(cfm)'']] | [[Image:Saddlesummit.jpg|thumb|400px|The saddle and summit of Saddle Mountain ''(cfm)'']] | ||
| − | [[Image:Copperbush.jpg|thumb|250px|Copperbush '(Cladothamnus pyroflorus)'' can be found along the trail ''(cfm)'']] | + | [[Image:Copperbush.jpg|thumb|250px|Copperbush ''(Cladothamnus pyroflorus)'' can be found along the trail ''(cfm)'']] |
[[Image:SaddleMountain5.jpg|thumb|250px|Mountain meadow knotweed ''(Polygonum bistortoides)'', Saddle Mountain ''(bobcat)'']] | [[Image:SaddleMountain5.jpg|thumb|250px|Mountain meadow knotweed ''(Polygonum bistortoides)'', Saddle Mountain ''(bobcat)'']] | ||
[[Image:SaddleMountain6.jpg|thumb|250px|Alice Eastwood's fleabane ''(Erigeron aliceae)'', Saddle Mountain ''(bobcat)'']] | [[Image:SaddleMountain6.jpg|thumb|250px|Alice Eastwood's fleabane ''(Erigeron aliceae)'', Saddle Mountain ''(bobcat)'']] | ||
[[Image:Saddletrail.jpg|thumb|160px|Trail marker, Saddle Mountain Trail ''(cfm)'']] | [[Image:Saddletrail.jpg|thumb|160px|Trail marker, Saddle Mountain Trail ''(cfm)'']] | ||
| + | [[Image:SaddleMountainMap.png|thumb|400px|Switchbacking trail to the summit of Saddle Mountain Courtesy: ''Caltopo/MapBuilder Topo'']] | ||
{{Start point|Saddle Mountain Trailhead}} | {{Start point|Saddle Mountain Trailhead}} | ||
* End point: [[Saddle Mountain]] | * End point: [[Saddle Mountain]] | ||
| − | * Trail | + | * Trail log: [[Saddle Mountain Hike/Log|Trail Log]] |
| − | * Hike | + | * Hike type: Out and back |
{{Distance|5.2 miles}} round trip | {{Distance|5.2 miles}} round trip | ||
| − | {{Elevation gain| | + | {{Elevation gain|1900 feet}} |
| + | * High point: 3,282 feet | ||
{{Difficulty|Moderate}} | {{Difficulty|Moderate}} | ||
| − | * Seasons: | + | * Seasons: April through November |
* Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids | * Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids | ||
* Backpackable: No | * Backpackable: No | ||
| − | * Crowded: Yes | + | * Crowded: Yes |
=== Hike Description === | === Hike Description === | ||
| − | Mountaintop views that reach from the Pacific Ocean to | + | Mountaintop views that reach from the Pacific Ocean to [[Mount Hood]] and three Washington stratovolcanoes await you on this steep climb to the top of a double-peaked summit of basalt. The mountain is formed from the same basalts that are such a dominant feature of the [[Columbia River Gorge]]. Fifteen million years ago, when these lava flows reached what was then the Astoria Sea, they fizzed and exploded and created a great mound of breccia that remains the most distinctive prominence at the northern end of Oregon's Coast Range. The upper part of the mountain is decorated with expansive but steeply sloping wildflower meadows from mid-spring into summer. Bear in mind that this hike is justifiably extremely popular. Try to get to the trailhead early, or make the excursion during the week if you can. |
| − | From the parking area, the trail begins in the campsite area. Get on the paved trail, and | + | From the parking area, the trail begins in the old campsite area, as of 2023 day use only. Get on the paved trail, and bear left past a trail sign and map, passing several picnic tables. The pavement soon ends, and you will enter a lush forest of red alder, with salmonberry lining the path. Huge stumps are all that remain of the massive conifers that once thrived on these lower slopes. After 0.2 miles, you have an option to take a short spur trail to the right for the Humbug Mountain viewpoint, but you will also see Humbug Mountain from the [[Saddle Mountain]] summit as well. |
| − | Soon the alders will be replaced with Douglas- | + | Soon the alders will be replaced with Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce as you pass a 1/4 mile marker, cross a footbridge, and switchback up the hillside. The trail skirts around sedum-covered house-sized boulders composed of volcanic breccia, a preview for the upper portion of the hike. Traverse up, switchback three more times, and then cross a grassy slope blooming with nodding onions and desert parsley. The tread reenters Douglas-fir woods and switchbacks through an area of blowdown before crossing another footbridge and switchbacking up four times. At the third switchback, there’s a distinctive basalt dike that heads down from the trail. Soon you'll reach an open rocky slope and switchback again. From here, the trail is frequently held in place by a wire mat. Little seeps are home to two endemic species, the Saddle Mountain bittercress and Saddle Mountain saxifrage. Heading up on an open slope, you can see the rocky spine of the mountain above. The trail switchbacks at a silver fir and rises up an open slope to switchback again at a breccia pillar. Two more switchbacks take you through wildflower meadows and Sitka alder thickets blooming with larkspur. |
| − | + | After this, you'll traverse downward, reach a footbridge, and then ascend again. Switchback twice more, and then head up towards the mountain’s spine with its woodland of Sitka spruce, noble fir, and silver fir. A couple more switchbacks take you past a picnic table, and then you'll begin o get open views. After it passes across a rocky meadow that blooms with paintbrush, lewisia, and woolly sunflower in summer, the trail drops and then traverses up on an open slope. Next, descend a steep wooden staircase, passing more basalt dikes and reaching a saddle where there's a copse of noble firs. The trail now heads steeply up on a mesh wire tread. Switchback three times in and out of Sitka alder thickets to reach open slopes and pass the 2 1/2 mile marker. Wind up in open meadows blooming with cliff anemone, tufted saxifrage, mountain meadow knotweed, Oregon larkspur, paintbrush, spreading phlox and long-spurred violets in early summer. The track has been rerouted to bypass eroded trail gullies. Near the summit, a spur leads right along an exposed ridge to a copse of noble fir and a sheer drop off. The summit, a former lookout site, is fenced in and the views are expansive on a clear day. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | === | + | Across the saddle is the southeastern peak of [[Saddle Mountain]], only 16 feet lower than the summit you are standing on. Looking towards the ocean, you can see Nehalem Bay, Onion Peak, Tillamook Head, Clatsop Spit, the [[Astoria-Megler Bridge]] across the Columbia River, and the Willapa Hills. [[Marys Peak]] is the most prominent Coast Range peak far to the south. [[Mount Hood]] and [[Mount Jefferson]] in the Oregon Cascades are often visible, as well as the Washington summits of [[Mount Saint Helens]], [[Mount Rainier]], Goat Rocks, and [[Mount Adams]]. On very clear days, you can see the Olympic Mountains to the north. |
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | === Maps === | ||
| + | {{HikeMaps|latitude=45.9689|longitude=-123.6852}} | ||
| + | * [https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_siteFiles%2Fpublications%2F%2F44142_Saddle_Mt_Brochure%28web%29043251.pdf Saddle Mountain State Natural Area Trail Guide (Oregon State Parks)] | ||
| + | * Sky Island Graphics: ''Oregon Coast Area Trails'' | ||
| + | * Adventure Maps: ''NW Coast Trail Map & Guide'' | ||
| − | + | === Regulations, Facilities, etc. === | |
| + | * No fee (day use only) | ||
| + | * Dogs on leash (because of the mesh wire tread on the upper half of the trail, this hike is not recommended for dogs) | ||
| + | * Vault toilets, picnic area, information kiosk; no drinking water | ||
| + | * Open dawn to dusk | ||
{{TripReports|{{PAGENAME}}}} | {{TripReports|{{PAGENAME}}}} | ||
| − | |||
{{RelatedDiscussions|{{PAGENAME}}}} | {{RelatedDiscussions|{{PAGENAME}}}} | ||
| − | |||
=== Guidebooks that cover this hike === | === Guidebooks that cover this hike === | ||
| + | * ''Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest'' by Don J. Scarmuzzi | ||
* ''100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast and Coast Range'' by William L. Sullivan | * ''100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast and Coast Range'' by William L. Sullivan | ||
* ''Hiking from Portland to the Coast'' by James D. Thayer | * ''Hiking from Portland to the Coast'' by James D. Thayer | ||
| + | * ''Oregon Hiking'' by Matt Wastradowski | ||
| + | * ''Pacific Northwest Hiking'' by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski | ||
* ''50 Hiking Trails: Portland and Northwest Oregon'' by Don & Roberta Lowe | * ''50 Hiking Trails: Portland and Northwest Oregon'' by Don & Roberta Lowe | ||
* ''Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver'' by Douglas Lorain | * ''Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver'' by Douglas Lorain | ||
* ''Hiking Oregon'' by Donna Lynn Ikenberry | * ''Hiking Oregon'' by Donna Lynn Ikenberry | ||
| + | * ''Extraordinary Oregon!'' by Matt Reeder | ||
| + | * ''PDX Hiking 365'' by Matt Reeder | ||
* ''Oregon Coast Hikes'' by Paul M. Williams | * ''Oregon Coast Hikes'' by Paul M. Williams | ||
* ''Best Hikes Near Portland'' by Fred Barstad | * ''Best Hikes Near Portland'' by Fred Barstad | ||
| Line 69: | Line 85: | ||
* ''Hiking Oregon'' by Lizann Dunegan | * ''Hiking Oregon'' by Lizann Dunegan | ||
* ''Fire, Faults, and Floods: A Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin'' by Marge & Ted Mueller | * ''Fire, Faults, and Floods: A Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin'' by Marge & Ted Mueller | ||
| − | * ''Canine Oregon'' by Lizann | + | * ''Canine Oregon'' by Lizann Dunegan |
| + | * ''Oregon Coast Camping & Hiking'' by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill | ||
* ''Oregon Hiking'' by Sean Patrick Hill | * ''Oregon Hiking'' by Sean Patrick Hill | ||
* ''Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide'' by Jan Bannan | * ''Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide'' by Jan Bannan | ||
=== More Links === | === More Links === | ||
| − | * | + | * [https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=140 Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (Oregon State Parks)] |
| − | * | + | * [http://www.nwhiker.com/SaddleMtHikes.html Saddle Mountain Hike (Northwest Hiker)] |
| − | * [ | + | * [https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/saddle-mountain-hike-seaside-oregon-coast-range/ Saddle Mountain Trail in Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (hikespeak)] |
| − | * | + | * [https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/oregon/saddle-mountain Saddle Mountain (Outdoor Project)] |
| − | * [http://oregonwildflowers.org/viewlocation.php?ID=79 Saddle Mountain | + | * [https://www.theoutbound.com/oregon/camping/hike-oregon-s-saddle-mountain Hike Oregon's Saddle Mountain (The Outbound Collective)] |
| + | * [http://wanderlusthiker.com/saddle-mountain-oregon/ Hiking Saddle Mountain, Oregon (Wanderlust Hiker)] | ||
| + | * [http://www.mdvaden.com/saddle_mountain.shtml Saddle Mountain Hiking Trail (Coast Redwood Adventures)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7047615/saddle-mountain-trail Saddle Mountain Trail (Hiking Project)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/saddle-mountain Saddle Mountain Trail (All Trails)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/08/16/saddle-mountain-is-as-tough-as-a-bronco-but-worth-the-breathtaking-view/ "Saddle Mountain is as Tough as a Bronco, But Worth the Breathtaking View" (Willamette Week)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/og/OGv41n10.pdf "The origin of the Miocene basalts of coastal Oregon and Washington: an alternative hypothesis" (Oregon Geology)] | ||
| + | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_Mountain_State_Natural_Area Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (Wikipedia)] | ||
| + | * [https://www.summitpost.org/saddle-mountain/150707 Saddle Mountain (Summit Post)] | ||
| + | * [http://oregonwildflowers.org/viewlocation.php?ID=79 Saddle Mountain (OregonWildflowers.org)] | ||
| + | * [https://nwwildflowers.com/places/Saddle_Mountain Saddle Mountain (Northwest Wildflowers)] | ||
| + | |||
=== Contributors === | === Contributors === | ||
* [[User:CFM|CFM]] (creator) | * [[User:CFM|CFM]] (creator) | ||
Latest revision as of 18:43, 22 September 2023
- Start point: Saddle Mountain Trailhead
- End point: Saddle Mountain
- Trail log: Trail Log
- Hike type: Out and back
- Distance: 5.2 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 1900 feet
- High point: 3,282 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: April through November
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Hike Description
Mountaintop views that reach from the Pacific Ocean to Mount Hood and three Washington stratovolcanoes await you on this steep climb to the top of a double-peaked summit of basalt. The mountain is formed from the same basalts that are such a dominant feature of the Columbia River Gorge. Fifteen million years ago, when these lava flows reached what was then the Astoria Sea, they fizzed and exploded and created a great mound of breccia that remains the most distinctive prominence at the northern end of Oregon's Coast Range. The upper part of the mountain is decorated with expansive but steeply sloping wildflower meadows from mid-spring into summer. Bear in mind that this hike is justifiably extremely popular. Try to get to the trailhead early, or make the excursion during the week if you can.
From the parking area, the trail begins in the old campsite area, as of 2023 day use only. Get on the paved trail, and bear left past a trail sign and map, passing several picnic tables. The pavement soon ends, and you will enter a lush forest of red alder, with salmonberry lining the path. Huge stumps are all that remain of the massive conifers that once thrived on these lower slopes. After 0.2 miles, you have an option to take a short spur trail to the right for the Humbug Mountain viewpoint, but you will also see Humbug Mountain from the Saddle Mountain summit as well.
Soon the alders will be replaced with Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce as you pass a 1/4 mile marker, cross a footbridge, and switchback up the hillside. The trail skirts around sedum-covered house-sized boulders composed of volcanic breccia, a preview for the upper portion of the hike. Traverse up, switchback three more times, and then cross a grassy slope blooming with nodding onions and desert parsley. The tread reenters Douglas-fir woods and switchbacks through an area of blowdown before crossing another footbridge and switchbacking up four times. At the third switchback, there’s a distinctive basalt dike that heads down from the trail. Soon you'll reach an open rocky slope and switchback again. From here, the trail is frequently held in place by a wire mat. Little seeps are home to two endemic species, the Saddle Mountain bittercress and Saddle Mountain saxifrage. Heading up on an open slope, you can see the rocky spine of the mountain above. The trail switchbacks at a silver fir and rises up an open slope to switchback again at a breccia pillar. Two more switchbacks take you through wildflower meadows and Sitka alder thickets blooming with larkspur.
After this, you'll traverse downward, reach a footbridge, and then ascend again. Switchback twice more, and then head up towards the mountain’s spine with its woodland of Sitka spruce, noble fir, and silver fir. A couple more switchbacks take you past a picnic table, and then you'll begin o get open views. After it passes across a rocky meadow that blooms with paintbrush, lewisia, and woolly sunflower in summer, the trail drops and then traverses up on an open slope. Next, descend a steep wooden staircase, passing more basalt dikes and reaching a saddle where there's a copse of noble firs. The trail now heads steeply up on a mesh wire tread. Switchback three times in and out of Sitka alder thickets to reach open slopes and pass the 2 1/2 mile marker. Wind up in open meadows blooming with cliff anemone, tufted saxifrage, mountain meadow knotweed, Oregon larkspur, paintbrush, spreading phlox and long-spurred violets in early summer. The track has been rerouted to bypass eroded trail gullies. Near the summit, a spur leads right along an exposed ridge to a copse of noble fir and a sheer drop off. The summit, a former lookout site, is fenced in and the views are expansive on a clear day.
Across the saddle is the southeastern peak of Saddle Mountain, only 16 feet lower than the summit you are standing on. Looking towards the ocean, you can see Nehalem Bay, Onion Peak, Tillamook Head, Clatsop Spit, the Astoria-Megler Bridge across the Columbia River, and the Willapa Hills. Marys Peak is the most prominent Coast Range peak far to the south. Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson in the Oregon Cascades are often visible, as well as the Washington summits of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, Goat Rocks, and Mount Adams. On very clear days, you can see the Olympic Mountains to the north.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Saddle Mountain State Natural Area Trail Guide (Oregon State Parks)
- Sky Island Graphics: Oregon Coast Area Trails
- Adventure Maps: NW Coast Trail Map & Guide
Regulations, Facilities, etc.
- No fee (day use only)
- Dogs on leash (because of the mesh wire tread on the upper half of the trail, this hike is not recommended for dogs)
- Vault toilets, picnic area, information kiosk; no drinking water
- Open dawn to dusk
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Saddle Mountain Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Saddle Mountain Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest by Don J. Scarmuzzi
- 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast and Coast Range by William L. Sullivan
- Hiking from Portland to the Coast by James D. Thayer
- Oregon Hiking by Matt Wastradowski
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
- 50 Hiking Trails: Portland and Northwest Oregon by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- Hiking Oregon by Donna Lynn Ikenberry
- Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- Oregon Coast Hikes by Paul M. Williams
- Best Hikes Near Portland by Fred Barstad
- 75 Hikes in Oregon's Coast Range and Siskiyous by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald
- Hiking Oregon's Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop
- 100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Take a Hike: Portland by Barbara I. Bond
- Best Short Hikes in Northwest Oregon by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
- 50 Hikes in Oregon by David L. Anderson
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- Hike America: Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Hiking the Oregon Coast by Lizann Dunegan
- Hiking Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Fire, Faults, and Floods: A Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin by Marge & Ted Mueller
- Canine Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
- Oregon Coast Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide by Jan Bannan
More Links
- Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (Oregon State Parks)
- Saddle Mountain Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Saddle Mountain Trail in Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (hikespeak)
- Saddle Mountain (Outdoor Project)
- Hike Oregon's Saddle Mountain (The Outbound Collective)
- Hiking Saddle Mountain, Oregon (Wanderlust Hiker)
- Saddle Mountain Hiking Trail (Coast Redwood Adventures)
- Saddle Mountain Trail (Hiking Project)
- Saddle Mountain Trail (All Trails)
- "Saddle Mountain is as Tough as a Bronco, But Worth the Breathtaking View" (Willamette Week)
- "The origin of the Miocene basalts of coastal Oregon and Washington: an alternative hypothesis" (Oregon Geology)
- Saddle Mountain State Natural Area (Wikipedia)
- Saddle Mountain (Summit Post)
- Saddle Mountain (OregonWildflowers.org)
- Saddle Mountain (Northwest Wildflowers)
Contributors
- CFM (creator)