Season 6 . Hike #11 - Dimple Hill via Patterson Road

 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 along Patterson Road #600 most of the way. The trail is well marked, well maintained, and not too steep. There are some great views of the valley on the East side, and the Coastal range on the West side.


The trail basically goes to Dimple Hill, and then back. On the top of the hill are 2 memorial benches. There was also a porta potty, but that might have just been there for the 50k race.

The views are nice, the weather perfect for hiking, and there are a lot of options for hiking longer if you like.

It's always fun to find great hiking relatively close to home, and this fits the bill. Most of the McDonald Research Forest is filled with trails and service roads. I definitely recommend this hike!

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