Deception Creek
via Deception Butte Trail
Deception Butte Trail was devastated during the 2014 Deception Butte Fire, but a portion of the trail remained and is still hikeable now. You can now only hike up to the first viewpoint 1.75 miles in. This makes for a perfect short and easy hike available for all skill levels!
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The trail starts off near the Middle Fork Ranger Station and there is plenty of parking along the gravel road. You do not need an Annual Forest Service Pass to hike this trail. During the spring (March and early April) you will see Oxalis covering the forest floor as well as white and pink Trillium flowers peering through the massive ferns, as the trail takes you through dense woods.
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Once the trail drops you down along Deception Creek, the forest opens up and you will see more deciduous trees here which makes for a spectacular show in the fall time (early October). Deception Creek is to your right, and if you look up the hillside to your left, you will start seeing fire damage. You can see how the fire came clear down to the creek.
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After 1.5 miles of hiking through the forest you come up on another small creek that flows into Deception Creek. Here there is a newly constructed bridge (it used to be a 50 foot log bridge). At this point you can continue on just a few hundred more feet up to a little viewpoint before the trail completely dead ends into where the burn swept downhill and no one has been able to recover the trail.
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(Deception Creek from the bridge)
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If you want to see a very cool but mangled car from the 50's, head up stream along Deception Creek right before crossing the bridge. Just a few hundred yards upstream, you will see the car. No one knows any history behind this car or how it ended up right there. It is speculated that it had driven off of the road above the creek and had been lodged in the woods somewhere out of sight until the fire possibly moved it and it tumbled down the hill to now reside next to Deception Creek.
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If you choose to cross the bridge and head up to the viewpoint, please be careful as the tread on the trail here is a bit loose. From the small viewpoint, you can see that you are in between two ridges, and you can see all of the damage from the Deception Butte Fire to the west. Right after this viewpoint, the trail used to lead across a steep side hill. This entire hill burned and the trail has not been messed with here due to the steepness of the trail and risk of landslides in a fire damaged area. This is where your hike will end. Please do not attempt to go further and find the trail, it is not safe!
Overall, this is a wonderful hike for all skill levels. In the spring time this hike features beautiful lush greenery along with wild flowers. In the fall you will see amazing fall foliage along the river and mushrooms that abundantly grow after wildfires. This trail has something to offer during most of the year and it is the perfect place to enjoy the beauty of Oregon!
Approximate hike time: 1 hour 45 minutes w/ an average pace of 2 mph
Suggested seasons: Spring, summer, fall, winter
(This trail is accessible year round but in March and April you can catch the wildflowers blooming, and in October you will see brilliant fall foliage).
Trail usage: Low
Parking permit required: N/A
Directions: From Eugene you will take I-5 South and take exit 188 towards Oakridge. Follow Willamette Hwy 58 East for 30 miles. 2 miles after the Hwy bridges Deception Creek (3 miles before Oakridge), turn right onto Deception Creek Rd. You will see the trail head on your right, shortly after turning onto the road.
Suggested seasons: Spring, summer, fall, winter
(This trail is accessible year round but in March and April you can catch the wildflowers blooming, and in October you will see brilliant fall foliage).
Trail usage: Low
Parking permit required: N/A
Directions: From Eugene you will take I-5 South and take exit 188 towards Oakridge. Follow Willamette Hwy 58 East for 30 miles. 2 miles after the Hwy bridges Deception Creek (3 miles before Oakridge), turn right onto Deception Creek Rd. You will see the trail head on your right, shortly after turning onto the road.
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*All pictures are taken by Franziska Weinheimer
*Disclaimer: the trail descriptions, mileage, GPS tracks and difficulty ratings depicted on this website are never 100% accurate. Always hike at your own risk, using your own knowledge, equipment and common sense.
Franziska Weinheimer/Hike Oregon are not responsible if you or anyone in your party gets injured or lost while attempting one of these or any other hikes. |
To get a more in-depth and personal view of this hike, watch the YouTube video.
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