Let Saddle Mountain State Natural Area be but the start of your back road journey. Next up – the nearby Lower Nehalem River Road is accessed at Elsie, Oregon. A few short miles down the road you’ll meet Henry Rierson Spruce Run Park – a fine place to call it a day. Spruce Run campsites (many are streamside) go for $10 a night and each is available on a first come-first serve basis no reservations are accepted.įour miles up the road you can get lost on purpose – with a rod and reel and a chance to catch fish at Lost Lake. The Lower Nehalem River Road winds about as a dizzying affair with views of the Nehalem River and once back to straight-as an arrow State Highway 26. But be aware that there are no hook ups for water or electricity. Each is perfect for a tent – no trailer space, although trailers are allowed in the parking area. You may choose to make the park a longer stay at one of the ten primitive campsites.
That means it can be downright cool too! So dress warmly – in layers – and be sure you wear sturdy hiking boots with good ankle support for your climb and the descent back to the parking lot. Today, the basalt breaks away in chunks – cracks, crevices and bands show off eons of geologic time. The trail opens onto grassy meadows covered in a riot of wildflowers. Although water is rare, cool springs seep and replenish a surprising number of plants with a distinct sound that also soothes the soul. If time is on your side, you will be face to face with the namesake–the saddle and then the summit–bare double peaks that loom ahead.Įach day’s view is different in spring the ocean is often obscured. As sixth highest point in the Oregon Coast Range, Saddle Mountain serves up drifting clouds so close you’ll feel as though you can reach out and touch them. On a clear day – even from a distance – Saddle Mountain steals the scene across the Oregon Coast Range: a distinct landmark that’s hard to deny! It is even harder for hikers to resist on an Oregon State Park Trail that will steal your heart.Įach step up Saddle Mountain’s two and a half mile long trail reveals a timeless place born of events that are 16 million years old. The site dates to a time when a thick layer of Columbia River basalt flowed into the ocean from distant Eastern Oregon. Eventually, the ground rose and the mountain was born.
0 kommentar(er)
