Olallie Mountain
Olallie Mountain is a moderately trafficked trail leading through alpine meadows up to an old fire lookout hut. The summit offers amazing views of the Cascade Mountains. The trail starts at the far end of a large parking loop. There are two trailheads here, so make sure you are taking the trail at the far left of the parking area. The hike begins with a slight but steady incline through thick green forest.
After .5 miles you come across a creek called Mosquito Creek. If you do some serious bush whacking, you can follow the creek upstream to Wolverine Lake, but the thick brush and swarms of mosquitoes made it look pretty unappealing in the month of July. After crossing Mosquito Creek, you will hike another 1.6 miles until you come to a trail junction.
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This junction is very important, as it frequently becomes the point of getting lost for many folks who attempt this hike. Because the second part of Olallie Mountain trail is quite overgrown, it can be hard to see the trail to the right, and therefore you may even miss the intersection and end up going 1 mile downhill to Olallie Meadows, which then takes you farther down to Horse Lake.
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Just make sure you are taking the trail to your right and that it is going uphill, instead of going slightly left and heading downhill. This is where in 2012 University of Oregon professor Daming Xu got lost and ended up dying, his body never found. This is definitely a hike that you want to do with a hiking buddy, and don't try to hike it too early or late in the season. The recommendations are late June to early October, and it is important to stick to that.
(the trail covered in bear grass)
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The next 1 mile section of trail is very overgrown with bear grass. Because so few people hike this trail, the tough bear grass has taken over. If it has rained recently, make sure to bring rain pants or gators on your hike in order to keep your pants dry. After about a mile, the trail opens up into some beautiful mountain meadows (this is where it would be likely to encounter a bear). Here you can also admire the many wild flowers that grow in these meadows in June and early July.
(There are so many beautiful wildflowers along this hike)
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The last .5 miles are very open, the trail gets a little rockier and you have exposure to the right side. It is also much steeper here, but you are so close to the top, the anticipation of epic views of the Cascades keep you going. Here you are looking out to the west towards the Willamette Valley. |
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The top of Olallie Mountain is at 5,688 ft. elevation and there is a small look out hut that you can enter. The inside is not very well maintained, and there are many mouse and rat droppings, but the trail log notated that people do use the hut to camp and sleep in. All of the windows were in-tact, and it really creates quite the neat view to see the Three Sisters through the old glass.
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(The Three Sisters)
(Mt. Bachelor)
(Mt. Jefferson, Three Finger Jack, Mt. Washington)
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Overall, this hike is one of the best hidden gems in the McKenzie foothills area. If you want solitude on a hike, this one is it! The trail log book indicated that only one or two people per week go up to the top of Olallie Mountain during the season. This may be because it is so far out of the way, and I must admit, unless you have a reliable car that is good on gravel, I would probably not attempt to even get to the trailhead. The trailhead is very remote and the road is pretty rough. But if you have a good car, take some buddies and go on this awesome hike! Late June and early July is a great time to go because of all of the beautiful flowers it also isn’t quite so hot yet. The hike itself is not very hard, there is 1,200 ft. elevation gain, but it is spread out over 3.6 miles.
Approximate hike time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Suggested seasons: Summer, fall
Trail usage: Light
Directions: Drive east of Springfield 45 miles on Hwy 126. Between mileposts 45 and 46 turn right at the Cougar Reservoir sign and continue on Aufderheide Rd. 19 for 2.5 miles. Turn left and cross Cougar Dam and follow Rd. 1993 for a long, windy, partially gravel 15.4 miles. Park at the well-marked Pat Saddle trailhead on the right. The Olallie Mountain trail starts at the far end of the parking loop. Don't accidentally take the French Pete trail to the right.
Suggested seasons: Summer, fall
Trail usage: Light
Directions: Drive east of Springfield 45 miles on Hwy 126. Between mileposts 45 and 46 turn right at the Cougar Reservoir sign and continue on Aufderheide Rd. 19 for 2.5 miles. Turn left and cross Cougar Dam and follow Rd. 1993 for a long, windy, partially gravel 15.4 miles. Park at the well-marked Pat Saddle trailhead on the right. The Olallie Mountain trail starts at the far end of the parking loop. Don't accidentally take the French Pete trail to 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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