Now on a long abandoned road, you hike uphill for 0.2 mile and then veer right onto a narrower trail that gradually ascends in a dense forest of young trees. There are no views, but the setting is pleasant and shady. So shady, in fact, that very few understory plants survive beneath the trees. At 0.8 mile you pass an area that has been selectively logged and then come to a spur road. The trail follows this road uphill for 50 yards to a junction with gravel Bovine Mainline Road. You turn right and walk along this good gravel road over a little hill then in a long curving downhill atop a forested ridge. After 0.7 mile on the road, just as you enter a large clear-cut, you turn sharply left on a more primitive road that follows the edge of the clear-cut. This road goes gently downhill for 0.4 mile to its end beside Cow Creek. Turn left (upstream), and follow a closed road for 0.1 mile to a bridgeless crossing of the creek. There is usually a convenient log across this small creek just upstream from the horse crossing.
After all the road walking it is a pleasure to be back on trails as you go very gradually uphill, first beside a seasonal creek and then looping to the right as you ascend a forested hillside. The alder- and fir-lined trail winds uphill all the way to a junction with Cow Ridge Road at about 4 miles. You turn right, walk along this gravel road for 0.1 mile, and then go straight on an abandoned road blocked by a berm.
This wide route goes steadily but not steeply downhill for 0.8 mile to the upper edge of a large clear-cut, where you gather the hike’s only significant views of the Northrup Creek Valley and a forested ridge to the south. Instead of crossing the clear-cut, turn right and follow a trail that skirts the edge of the logging scar down to the Northrup Creek Road. You turn left, walk along this gravel road for 0.15 mile, and then turn right onto a signed foot trail.
The path goes 150 yards through a lovely, low-elevation deciduous woodland featuring dappled sunshine and tiny wildflowers to a bridgeless crossing of Northrup Creek. By midsummer you can usually rock hop across this stream, but for most of the year getting to the other side requires a chilly ford. Just 100 yards past the ford the trail reaches the edge of a large meadow that is a favorite haunt for a small herd of elk. The trail turns sharply right here, entering the forest rather than crossing the privately owned meadow, climbs rather steeply for 0.25 mile, and then levels out shortly before coming to the end of a primitive dirt road. Turn left and follow this little-used road for 0.3 mile to a gravel pit, and then walk along a better gravel road to a junction with Foster Mainline Road.
Meadow along Northrup Creek Trail
You turn right (downhill), crossing the road at an angle, and then veer left onto an unsigned primitive road. Walk gradually downhill along this tree-lined road, keeping left at a junction after 0.2 mile, all the way to the end of the road. From here, a good foot trail descends a series of short switchbacks to a hop-over crossing of a small creek.
This creek marks the start of the trail’s wildest and most scenic section. For the next 1.7 miles the route remains a true trail (no road walking) as it goes up and down in the lowlands near Northrup Creek. The way alternates between dense forest, riparian areas, and tiny creekside meadows where wildlife such as deer and elk are common. The section also includes some huge moss-covered bigleaf maples that are well worth admiring. The only downsides are several muddy areas and so many elk droppings that they are hard to avoid. After 1.2 miles the trail climbs a switchback away from the creek, crosses a low ridge, and then descends to Northrup Creek Road. After crossing this gravel road, the trail curves to the right through attractive forest back to the trailhead.
TRIP 3 Saddle Mountain
| Distance | 6.1 miles, Out-and-back | |
| Elevation Gain | 1700 feet | |
| Hiking Time | 3½ hours | |
| Optional Map | None needed | |
| Usually Open | March to November | |
| Best Time | Late May to mid-June | |
| Trail Use | No dogs (allowed, but too rocky and rough for most dogs) | |
| Agency | Oregon State Parks, Tillamook Region | |
| Difficulty | Difficult |
HIGHLIGHTS Saddle Mountain is undoubtedly the premier destination for pedestrians in the northern Oregon Coast Range. The open slopes near the top of this prominent landmark are home to a wide array of colorful wildflowers, including several rare species found virtually nowhere else in the world. But you don’t have to be a botanist to enjoy this outing. Anyone who likes fine vistas will be thrilled with this hike because it provides the best views in this part of the state.
DIRECTIONS Follow U.S. Highway 26 to near milepost 10, about 65 miles west of downtown Portland. Turn north on the narrow paved road for Saddle Mountain State Park, and drive 7.0 miles to its end at a parking area that serves both the trailhead and a small walk-in campground.
The popular path up Saddle Mountain starts at the east side of the parking lot and climbs gently through a thick forest of red alder and bigleaf maple. Head-high salmonberry bushes crowd the edges of the trail, giving it something of a tunnel-like feeling. After 0.2 mile a side trail leaves the main route to your right. Take the time to do this very worthwhile side trip, as it climbs to a small knoll with terrific views of Saddle Mountain from an angle that really shows how the mountain got its name.
Back on the main trail, you climb a series of irregularly spaced switchbacks through attractive woods of mixed conifers and deciduous trees. In several places you’ll notice where other hikers have cut switchbacks, causing erosion and needlessly trampled vegetation. Please stick to the official route and don’t add to the problem. Geology buffs will be fascinated by a prominent basalt dike a little west of the trail at about the 1-mile point.
Continuing uphill, mostly in the shade of evergreens, you reach the wonderful meadows that cloak the upper slopes of the mountain. From March to September you can always enjoy at least some flowers here. The peak blooming season comes in early June, when a whole array of colors are there to enjoy, including blue larkspur and iris, red paintbrush, yellow buckwheat, and white chickweed.
Saddle Mountain
Shortly before you reach the low point of Saddle Mountain’s saddle, a path drops down a meadowy ridge to your left. A side trip here reveals outstanding views of the open, rounded slopes around the summit of Saddle Mountain, your next goal. To reach that goal, go across a narrow walkway through the mountain’s saddle, and then climb steeply up the final 0.4 mile on a rocky trail with poor footing. You can gain greater stability by hanging onto the intermittent cable handrail on that last