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S6 Hike #7 - Belknap Hot Springs and Secret Garden

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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...
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S6. Hike #6 - Peavy Arboretum (McDonald Dunn Forest)

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S6. Hike #6 - Peavy Arboretum (McDonald Dunn Forest) Starting Location:  parking lot at Peavy Arboretum Point of Interest :  forest scenery Distance : 4 miles (lots of trails available) Difficulty : Moderate due to steepness Bathrooms:  porta potties at parking lot Parking : plenty of parking, several small lots EV Chargers :  no We hiked this back in November ( S5. Hike #16 ), but it was a nice day, Easter to be exact, and we had family together, so we took the Calloway Creek trail loop, which is about 4 miles. This trail starts right by the OSU Timber Arena, and has some diverse views. So many trails here, you really can't go wrong.
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S6. Hike #5 - Fitton Green Natural Area

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   S6. Hike #5 - Fitton Green Natural Area Starting Location: Allen Throop Loop Trailhead Point of Interest :  Views of South Willamette Valley Distance : 1.5 miles, many trails available of various lengths Difficulty : easy to medium, trails in good shape, some steep Bathrooms:  porta potty Parking : small gravel lot EV Chargers :  No We hiked this back in September ( S5, Hike #15 ) So I won't go into a lot of detail. It was a gorgeous day. I did discover that there is another entrance to this loop of trails from the West side, near Wren, so I am hoping to try that out soon. If anything, this hike is too short, but if you don't have a lot of time, it's perfect.
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Season 6. Hike #4 - Luckiamute Natural Site, South

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 Season 6. Hike #4  - Luckiamute Natural Site, South Starting Location:  South entrance, by Springhill Road Point of Interest  :   views Length of hike:  2 mile loop Level :  easy- well kept trails, mostly flat Bathrooms :  Yes Parking :  Small gravel parking lot EV Chargers:   No We've been to the North section of this Natural Site, but today we tried out the South section. The ranger had mentioned that the map needed to be updated, since the South section now had a 2 mile loop trail.  Just like the North section, dogs are allowed off leash during non nesting season.  The original trail here was about 0.5 miles, and went to a pond. Now you can continue along the edge of a large field. There is some privately owned land between the North and South sections, so you are hiking along the edge of that for a bit. The trail is flat, and was pretty dry. Lots of old trees with character. This was an interesting view along the trai...
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Season 6. Hike #3 - Ellendale Creek Loop

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  Ellendale Creek Loop Starting Location:  Yellow Gate, park on side of road about 2 miles up Reuben Boise Road Point of Interest  :   views Length of hike:  4.8 mile loop Level :  Moderate - well kept trails, some steep elevation Bathrooms :  No Parking :  Side of road EV Chargers:   No We've done this hike a few times, since it is close to where we live. It's also fun to see how the land looks different each time.  We always take the horse trail at the beginning that is steeper than I remember. Lots of short rests. The gravel road does wander to the same place, but this trail goes through the forest, which is a different look than most of the hike on a gravel road. The weather was amazing. End of January and not only is it sunny, but warm. I was comfortable in my tshirt. The trail was dry too. The view at the top is always amazing, unless it's all fogged in. It's also about the halfway point, so a good place to rest and have a sna...
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Season 6. Hike #2 - Luckiamute State Natural Area

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Season 6. Hike #2 - Luckiamute State Natural Area Starting Location:  North Trailhead (Trail Map) Point of Interest :  wildlife habitat, hiking Distance : 4 mile loop with campground trail Difficulty : Easy. Flat, a bit muddy after rains, but passable Bathrooms:  Permanent bathroom at South end, porta potty at North Trailhead Parking : small lots EV Chargers :  No We liked our last hike so much, we came back so we could hike the trail to the rafters' campground, and bring our dog.  Dogs are permitted off leash, except for nesting times, April - July. The trail to the campground is wide and flat. There were some puddles, and low areas, but easy to go around.  The weather was clear and cold. There was still ice on the trail where there was shade. The campground is mostly a wide open space with a few picnic tables and raised BBQ grills. The ranger mentioned that they bring a porta potty out here for the summer. It was worth the hike to come out here...
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Season 6. Hike #1 (First Day Hike) - Luckiamute State Natural Area

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  Season 6. Hike #1 (First Day Hike) - Luckiamute State Natural Area Starting Location:  North Trailhead (Trail Map) Point of Interest :  wildlife habitat, hiking Distance : 2 mile loop (4 with campground trail) Difficulty : Easy. Flat, a bit muddy after rains, but passable Bathrooms:  Permanent bathroom at South end, porta potty at North Trailhead Parking : small lots EV Chargers :  No This was our 3rd First Day Hike, and while looking at the long list of available First Day Hikes, we saw this one that was pretty close to where we live, and we had never heard of it before. We ended up getting there early, which was good, since there are 3 driveways marked as part of the state park, and we came from the South, so the 3rd time was the charm. Don't go to the middle driveway...that's the ranger offices. The North and South Nature Areas are separated by private land, for now, so there's no trail from one to the other. We had 2 rangers with us for this hi...
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