Home  •   Field Guide  •   Forums  •    Unread Posts  •   Maps  •   Find a Hike!
| Page | Discussion | View source | History | Print Friendly and PDF

Difference between revisions of "Saddle Mountain Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

(Add guidebook)
(more accurate elevation gain)
Line 21: Line 21:
 
* Hike Type: Out and Back
 
* Hike Type: Out and Back
 
{{Distance|5.2 miles}} round trip
 
{{Distance|5.2 miles}} round trip
−
{{Elevation gain|1600 feet}}  
+
{{Elevation gain|1900 feet}}  
 
{{Difficulty|Moderate}}
 
{{Difficulty|Moderate}}
 
* Seasons: April–November
 
* Seasons: April–November

Revision as of 14:21, 17 June 2018

The saddle and summit of Saddle Mountain (cfm)
Copperbush (Cladothamnus pyroflorus) can be found along the trail (cfm)
Mountain meadow knotweed (Polygonum bistortoides), Saddle Mountain (bobcat)
Alice Eastwood's fleabane (Erigeron aliceae), Saddle Mountain (bobcat)
Trail marker, Saddle Mountain Trail (cfm)
  • Start point: Saddle Mountain TrailheadRoad.JPG
  • End point: Saddle Mountain
  • Trail Log: Trail Log
  • Hike Type: Out and Back
  • Distance: 5.2 miles round trip
  • Elevation gain: 1900 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Seasons: April–November
  • Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: Yes, on summer weekends

Contents

Hike Description

Mountaintop views that reach from the Pacific Ocean to Mt. Hood await you on this steep climb to the top of a double-peaked summit of basalt. The upper part of the mountain is decorated with vast steep wildflower meadows in summer.

From the parking area, the trail begins in the campsite area. Get on the paved trail, and for left, passing several walk-in campsites. The pavement soon ends, and you will enter a lush forest of red alder, with salmonberry lining the path. At a quarter mile, the trail flattens amidst a carpet of oxalis. You have an option to take a short spur trail to the right for the Humbug Mountain viewpoint, but it is not necessary, you will see it from the summit as well.

Soon the alders will be replaced with Douglas-firs and spruces as you switchback up the hillside. The trail skirts around sedum-covered house sized boulders, a preview for the upper portion of the hike. Nearing the one mile mark the woods are periodically opened for steep meadows-which are in bloom from May through July. The top 500 feet of the mountain is made up of huge basalt dikes. There is very little topsoil. The trail is loose gravel, and recently the tread has been completely covered with a chain link fence material to aid in traction. By a mile and half, you will be traveling mostly through the steep rocky meadows that make this hike famous. Admire the flora and the expansive views, but please watch your step. After a short descent through the saddle area, you will make the final steep climb up to the summit—a triangular cement pad that is the former site of a lookout tower.

Maps

Sky Island Graphics: Oregon Coast Area Trails

Regulations or Restrictions, etc.

Because of the mesh fencing on the upper half of the trail, this hike is not recommended for dogs.

Trip Reports

  • (Click here to add your own)

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

  • 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast and Coast Range by William L. Sullivan
  • Hiking from Portland to the Coast by James D. Thayer
  • 50 Hiking Trails: Portland and Northwest Oregon by Don & Roberta Lowe
  • Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
  • Hiking Oregon by Donna Lynn Ikenberry
  • 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

Contributors

  • CFM (creator)
Retrieved from "https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Saddle_Mountain_Hike&oldid=79073"
Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.