Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

  Season 6 . Hike #11 - Dimple Hill via Patterson Road (McDonald Research Forest) Starting Location:  parking lot off Sulpher Spring Road Point of Interest :  views of Corvallis, forest Distance : 5 miles out and back Difficulty : easy, some steepness Bathrooms:  yes, at parking lot (and PP at top) Parking : paved lot off road EV Chargers :  no Dogs OK? yes On our way to this hike, coming from Dallas, we passed a lot of trailheads that looked interesting. I didn't realize how many hiking trails there are in this area between Dallas and Corvallis. We got to the parking lot around 3pm, to find that a 50k Ultramarathon hike had started around 7am. Luckily, most of the crowd had finished, so we almost had the trail to ourselves. This hike is a part of the McDonald Douglas Research forest, which I also did not realize extended out this far. Patterson Road actually begins at the Peavy Arboretum off of Hwy 99, and goes all the way to Dimple Hill. We hiked alo...

  Season 6 Hike #10 - Cascade Head Starting Location: K night Park , north of Lincoln City Point of Interest :  views of the Pacific and Salmon River Distance : about 6 miles up and back, depending how far up the trail you go. Difficulty : moderate to difficult Bathrooms:  yes, at Knight Park Parking : paved, and Knight Park. EV Chargers :  no Dogs? : No Dogs This is a well marked trail. The first part goes through private land and along a private road, where there are signs asking you to stay off the road. The trail is also well maintained, with several small bridges, boardwalks, and crafted staits. Parts of the trail are very steep, there are tree roots, and I can imagine how difficult it would be when muddy. we were lucky there, with a dry trail and great weather. Our first glimpse of the ocean, but we are still on private land. The public part of the trail starts here, along the private road. It's about 1/2 mile or so from Knight Park. This is where it...

  Season 6. Hike #7 -   Blue Pool (Tamolitch Falls) Starting Location:  parking lot off 126 Point of Interest Blue Pool forest trails, McKenzie River, McKenzie River Trail Distance : 4 miles (2.1 out and back from parking lot) Difficulty : moderate to difficult Bathrooms:  yes, pit Parking : yes, gravel EV Chargers :  no We had decided the day before to cancel this hike due to weather, but then it looked better, and we drove out to this stop on the McKenzie River Trail.  From this parking area, the sign says 2 1/4 miles to Blue Pool. There was a lot of parking along the road, and decent bathrooms. This hike starts in the forest, and the trail is pretty easy. It had rained during the night, so there was some mud and puddles, but nothing we couldn't either go through or around. This tree had given up a long time ago, and we though it looked interesting with all of the rocks people had tucked into various spots, kinda like stacking rocks. There are a...

Season 6. Hike #7 -  Belknap Hot Springs and Secret Garden Starting Location:  Belknap Lodge Point of Interest :  Secret Garden, forest trails, McKenzie River Distance : 1 mile? Trail Map Difficulty : easy Bathrooms:  yes, in lodge and nearby campground Parking : yes, paved EV Chargers :  no We came here to celebrate my wife's birthday, and my oldest daughter and her boyfriend also came with us. We stayed in the lodge, which is getting older, but still nice. There are also camping spots right along the river, and another section up a small hill. There are 2 hot springs available for guests, and you can pay to just do the hot springs, which look like swimming pools, but are few with water from the nearby spring. They are just over 100 degrees, and very comfortable. If you cross the bridge across the McKenzie River, there are many trails you can explore. Some go to the tent sites, and there are 2 cabins. There is also a Secret Garden. The trails and lan...

Season 6. Hike #8 - Bigelow Hot Springs Starting Location: Forest Road NF-2654 Point of Interest :  Hot Springs, McKenzie River, McKenzie River Trail and Bridge Distance : 1/4 mile? Difficulty : easy, but rocky along river Bathrooms:  no Parking : yes, EV Chargers :  no This is easy enough to find. A few miles past Belknap Hot Springs on Hwy 126 is Deer Creek Rd, also NF-2654. There is access to the McKenzie River Trail here, and the trail to Bigelow Hot Springs is just off to the left of the trailhead. The Hot Springs isn't that big, and part of it is under the overhang, but still comfortable for about 6 people.  When we were there, mid April, the river was high enough to dilute the hot springs, so the temperature was only lukewarm. We decided not to soak. Disappointing. We did notice at the parking area that there was a rather large footbridge crossing the river, so we decided to try to get there. It turns out that it is part of the McKenzie River Trail. ...