Past Activity

Metolius River

Start date: 10/12/2024
Start time: 8:00 AM

Description:

We'll begin our day on the river at the Lower Canyon Creek Campground, following the west bank all the way to Lower Bridge Campground (5.5 miles), which will be our lunch stop. From there we'll cross over to the east bank for 3 miles, and then cross back to the west side at the Wizard Falls fish hatchery, for a total of 11 miles RT. This will be an unhurried stroll along a beautiful and well maintained trail, with not a lot of up and down.

The drive and parking lot are doable for all vehicle types.

The drive to the trailhead is long, so please be a bit early and ready to hit the road by 7:30. The days are getting shorter and I don't want to be driving back after dark!

Event Leader: Kathie Carpenter
Event Leader Phone: 541-505-2370
Event Leader Email: kathiec@uoregon.edu
Assistant Leader:
Event category: Trips
Area Type: Mountain
Departure Location: Behind McDonalds, 57th and Main in Springfield
Rating: Moderate
Roundtrip total drive miles: 204
Season: 2024
Permits Required:
- NW Forest Pass
Event Status: Passed
Supplies and Equipment Required: Lunch, water, personal first aid. Bring quarters to buy fish food if you want to feed the gaping maws at the fish hatchery! Wear layers - it will be chilly in the morning and will warm up throughout the day. Bring poles if you use them - there is not a lot of elevation gain, but plenty of roots and rocks to trip on.
participant prerequisites: Be ready for a moderately paced 11-mile hike.
Conditions:
Total Distance: 11
Member Fees: —
Elevation Gain: 600
Non-Member Fees: 5
Committee: Trips
Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

This was a beatiful day on the river, as always with the Metolius. The only snafu was that the trip leader got lost trying to find the trailhead, which happens frequently with this hike, so for future reference, here are the directions to Lower Canyon Creek Campground: <br />
<br />
From Hwy 20, take a left onto Jack Lake Rd/NF 12 and stay on it for 8 miles. Turn right onto NF 1420 for .1 mile, and take a left at the sign for Lower Canyon Creek Campground. Ignore everything else, including the Google maps directions, which are very confusing. The sign for the left turn onto Jack Lake Rd is hidden by foliage, but there is a turnaround spot just ahead, so don\'t panic when you miss it. Another confusing thing is that there is also a Lower Bridge Campground, and if your navigators aren\'t reading carefully, it\'s easy to end up at that one instead. Lower Canyon Creek Campground is closed by mid-October, but the parking lot for the trailhead is still open, as are the restrooms (although once the campgrounds are closed, there is no water and no TP.)<br />
<br />
Aside from getting lost, we had a wonderful time. The fall foliage was vibrant, the water was sparkling, the company was companionable and the day was memorable.