Saddle Mountain Hike - North Coast Range, Oregon

After a long, wet few months, we finally had enough sun and dry weather to enjoy our first spring hike on Sunday. We decided to venture to Saddle Mountain State Park in the Oregon Coast Range. The trailhead to Saddle Mountain is located 7 miles off Hwy 26 in Northwestern Oregon. The turnoff to Saddle Mountain State Park Road is on the North side of Hwy 26, between mileposts 10 and 11. This out-and-back hike covers approximately 4 total miles (according to Jason’s GPS) and gains approximately 1600’ elevation.

Download route (one-way) as shown in map above in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format or GPX format for use with GPS units and mapping programs. Disclaimer.

We arrived at the trailhead just before 10:00 AM and found the parking lot half-full. The weather was partly sunny with a temperature around 50° F. We set off just ahead of a large group of hikers. The well-worn trail begins in relatively dense Alder forest with plenty of ground cover. The forest gradually transitions to Douglas Fir as one climbs higher on the trail.

   

   

Continuing on up the trail, we began to see glimpses of the Coast Range and blue sky. The warmer weather has also brought out the wild flowers, many of which were just starting to bloom along the trail. It was obvious, though, that the ground was still saturated with water, as water ran across or along many portions of the trail.

   

   

It seems that runoff and erosion are a problem along the Saddle Mountain trail, because many parts of the tail are stabilized with metal fencing. Though intended to protect both the trail and hikers, the fence material at times seemed more slippery than the loose scree it was stabilizing. As we covered the final (and steepest) 0.5 miles of our ascent, the fenced sections underfoot were drier and less slippery. We watched a couple other pairs make their way up the mountainside and enjoyed the sunshine before continuing on. We also noticed a few remaining patches of snow in the shaded gulleys along the way.

   

   

   

We reached the top of Saddle Mountain in just over one hour. There were two other pairs already at the top, enjoying the views of the Pacific Ocean coastline. It was clear enough that we could see all the way to Astoria from the top. Unfortunately, we could not see any prominent mountains from our vantage point. After enjoying a snack and taking a few pictures, we headed back down, stopping to snap a few pictures of wildflowers along the way. We passed numerous groups of people on their way up the trail as we descended.

   

   

Just before the parking lot, we made a side trip (0.2 mi) to the top of Humbug Mountain. After climbing steep, crude rock steps to the top, we were rewarded with a great view of Saddle Mountain. Back at the parking lot, we found cars overflowing onto the side of the road. I can image how busy this trail is on a warm summer day.

   

   

Before heading home, Jason and I decided to head into Seaside and enjoy a drink and some seafood along the boardwalk. It was a nice way to end a beautiful day and good hike at the coast.