Horsepasture Mountain
via Saddle Trail
Saddle Trail is a connector trail that leads up to Olallie Trail, O’Leary Mountain and Horsepasture Mountain. There is no parking area, and the trail is only parked by a trail sign at the side of Rd. 1993.
The first 2 miles from the road up to the ridge are very steep with a total of 22 switchbacks, going from 3,200 ft. elevation to 5,000 ft. Even though it is steep, the towering trees overhead are.
(view of Horsepasture Mountain)
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Once you arrive at the ridge, you will butt up to the Olallie Trail #3529 and you will see a T junction. You can either take the Olallie Trail to the right which will take to around O'Leary Mountain and will eventually intersect with O'Leary Mountain Trail #3321. |
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If you take Olallie Trail to the right, in a few hundred yards the trail will split again. If you are out backpacking you can take Ollallie Trail all the way to Olallie Mountain and even farther into the Three Sisters Wilderness, but if you are a day hiker and want spectacular views, take the Horsepasture Mountain Trail #4347 up another 1.4 miles to the top. If you are just wanting do the short jaunt up Horsepasture Mountain, you can join at this junction, since there is a small path that comes up from Road 1993.
(Cougar tracks)
I will mention that especially in the winter, this area is not frequented a lot and we saw a lot of Cougar signs (scat and tracks) throughout the entire hike.
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During June, the Horsepasture Mountain trail is known for its fields of wildflowers. And during the early fall, you can watch the bear grass change from its fluffy white plumes to its golden seed pods. I would definitely recommend doing this hike during the early summer or early fall seasons. |
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(Panorama view from the top of Horsepasture Mountain)
The view from the top of Horsepasture Mountain is quite stunning. You can see the entire string of the Cascade Mountains from Mt. Bachelor all the way up to Mt. Jefferson and on a very clear day, you can even see the faint glimmer of white-capped Mt. Hood. The Three Sisters definitely take center stage in this view.
(North, Middle and South Sister)
(Mt. Jefferson and Three Finger Jack)
On the way down Horsepasture Mountain, you get to see across the small valley towards O'Leary Mountain. Looking at different land features during hikes, gives me a better understanding of the lay of the land and the more I hike, the more knowledgeable I become with my surroundings. |
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**Please note- even though I did this hike in the winter, I do NOT by any means promote doing this hike in the snow. It is highly dangerous and the trees are not marked here, so it is possible to easily lose the trail. Always make sure to carry a map, compass and a GPS.
(O'Leary Mountain)
Overall, this is a wonderful hidden gem of a hike that not very many people know about! If you are only wanting to do Horsepasture Mountain from Horsepasture Mountain trailhead off of Rd. 1993, it is definitely an easy hike with a clear, easy to read trail. This section does have an incline but it is not too steep, and I think it is possible for most people to do this 2.8 mile hike.
If you choose to do the longer route from Saddle Trail, the first part is much steeper and a bit more challenging. There are so many trails that connect and loop together around this area, this could be the perfect inlet for a wonderful backpacking trip.
If you choose to do the longer route from Saddle Trail, the first part is much steeper and a bit more challenging. There are so many trails that connect and loop together around this area, this could be the perfect inlet for a wonderful backpacking trip.
Approximate hike time: 4 hours (for the 6.8 mile hike) w/ an average pace of 1.7 mph
Suggested seasons: Summer, fall
Trail usage: Light to moderate (Saddle trail has very light usage, Horsepasture Mountain has moderate usage in the summer)
Directions:
To Saddle Trail trailhead- From Hwy. McKenzie 126 between mileposts 45/46 turn at the Cougar Reservoir pointer and continue on Aufderheide Rd. 19 for 3 miles. Then turn left and cross the dam, following Rd. 1993 for roughly 10 miles until you see a small trail sign on your left. Park on the side of the road, there are no large pullouts.
To Horsepasture Mountain trailhead- Drive East on McKenzie Hwy 126 to McKenzie Bridge. After crossing the only bridge in town, turn right onto Horse Creek Rd. 2638 for 1.7 miles. After Horse Creek Campground turn right onto Rd. 1993 and continue 8.6 uphill miles until you see the second hiker symbol on the right.
Suggested seasons: Summer, fall
Trail usage: Light to moderate (Saddle trail has very light usage, Horsepasture Mountain has moderate usage in the summer)
Directions:
To Saddle Trail trailhead- From Hwy. McKenzie 126 between mileposts 45/46 turn at the Cougar Reservoir pointer and continue on Aufderheide Rd. 19 for 3 miles. Then turn left and cross the dam, following Rd. 1993 for roughly 10 miles until you see a small trail sign on your left. Park on the side of the road, there are no large pullouts.
To Horsepasture Mountain trailhead- Drive East on McKenzie Hwy 126 to McKenzie Bridge. After crossing the only bridge in town, turn right onto Horse Creek Rd. 2638 for 1.7 miles. After Horse Creek Campground turn right onto Rd. 1993 and continue 8.6 uphill miles until you see the second hiker symbol on the right.
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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.
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