S5. Hike #15 - Allen Throop Loop, Fitton Green Natural Area, Bald Hill

 S5. Hike #15 - Fitton Green Natural Area, Bald Hill


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


This is a tale of 2 hikes. We started with the Allen Throop Loop, part of the Fitton Green and Bald Hill Natural Areas. There are lots of trails, so you do need to pay attention to what trail you are on. They seem to be marked well enough.


The trail is easy, and the views are amazing.



We drove up to the trailhead, and this trail was only about 1.5 miles, it went by very quickly. The other trails in the area that connected were longer than we wanted to go, so we ended up driving down to the Bald Hill Natural Area.





Bald Hill is more established, and busier, with bikers and joggers, as well as other hiker/walkers.

Some of the trails along the edge share a border with private houses, so you're not in the wilderness per se, but there is a lot of nature to enjoy.








We chose a loop path that would be about 2 miles or so, and we came upon this barn. Apparently, it can be rented out for weddings or parties. 

The trails we had been on were through fields, and a small part of a forest, with small creeks running along.







On our way back to the car, we passed a wetlands area, created by a beaver dam, and enjoyed by a lot of waterfowl. There were quite a few ducks playing in the pond when we walked by.

Bald Hill is just west of Corvallis, and offers some easy and beautiful trails. Fitton Green is just a few miles farther, and is more secluded and wild, also with a large selection of trails. This is an area you could visit several times without seeing the same scenery.








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