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William
Sullivan's Oregon Hikes
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Mt.
Jefferson as seen from Scout Lake.
Photo by William Sullivan
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Hike
to Jefferson Park
This
climb to the meadows beneath Mt. Jefferson is tough, but the views
make the effort worthwhile.
About
the Hike:
Oregon's second tallest mountain rises like a wall from the lake-dotted
wildflower meadows of Jefferson Park. The view of Mount Jefferson
is so impressive and the meadows are so delightful to explore that
the area is crowded in summer - so why not wait to go until September?
Difficulty:
The hike is a difficult 10.2-mile round trip, gaining 1,800 feet
of elevation.
Season: Open mid-July to mid-October.
Getting
There: From exit 253 of Interstate 5 in Salem, drive 61 miles
east on North Santiam Highway 22. Between mileposts 60 and 61 (10
miles beyond Detroit), turn left on Whitewater Road 2243. Follow
this gravel route 7.4 miles to its end at a large parking area.
Especially if you're leaving your car here overnight, leave no valuables
inside and leave doors unlocked to discourage car clouters, an occasional
problem here.
Fees:
A Recreation Fee Pass (Northwest Forest Pass) is required to park
here. The pass costs $5 per day or $30 per season.
Hiking
Tips: Because this area is so popular, expect some restrictions,
and expect that Wilderness rangers will be on hand to enforce the
rules. Campfires are banned throughout the area and camping within
250 feet of the lakes is permitted only at approved sites marked
with an embedded post.
From
the parking area, the well-graded trail starts in an old-growth
Douglas fir forest. Gradually you'll switchback up into a higher-elevation
forest of true firs and beargrass. After 1.5 miles, turn right at
a trail junction on a ridgecrest.
Breathtaking
views of Mount Jefferson open up as the path climbs east along the
ridge. At the 3.9-mile mark, a footbridge crosses Whitewater Creek
in a meadow with shooting star, larkspur, and bleeding heart. At
the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) junction, turn left.
For
the next 0.9 mile the trailside meadows become larger and prettier
until the path reaches Jefferson Park - a vast plateau of heather,
red paintbrush, lupine and clumps of wind-gnarled mountain hemlock.
Here, unfortunately, a confusion of trails proliferate - left to
Bays Lake, right to the head of Whitewater Creek. To follow the
PCT, keep straight to the first glimpse of Scout Lake, then veer
right.
One
way to explore the area is to follow the PCT 0.7 mile across the
park to large Russell Lake and return cross-country, either south
through the heather or southwest to find the hidden lakes. Though
chilly, these sandy-bottomed pools are among Oregon's most beautiful
spots for a quick swim.
Geology:
Mt. Jefferson is an apparently extinct volcano that has lost about
a third of its original size to the erosion of glaciers. More than
once, glacial lakes high on the mountain's north slope have breached
their sand dams, flooding Jefferson Park. The result is a relatively
flat, sandy plain with large open areas.
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