The Cone Peak and Iron Mountain Trails are part of the Old Cascades and feature an abundance of wildflowers throughout the summer.
The McKenzie River Trail is popular with mountain bikers, but it’s also a good location for a backpacking trip. The southern section of the trail parallels the river (and the highway) as it travels through old-growth forest.
Hike in next to Pamelia Creek, past popular Pamelia Lake and up to Hunts Cove to setup camp at Hanks or Hunts Lakes. Access the Pacific Crest Trail via the Old Hunts Cove Trail for outstanding views of Mount Jefferson.
On this two night backpacking trip in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, we hiked in via the Whitewater Trail and camped at Rock Lake.
Trails in the Opal Creek area were significantly damaged in 2020 wildfires and remain closed. This post covers the hike before the wildfire.
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