3.2 hr
Overview
The Salmon Butte Trail #791 is one of the more popular trails in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness, but the hike got longer by about 2 ½ miles and gained more elevation with the decommissioning of FR 2618 in 2010. Like other Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness trails, the optimal time to visit is on a clear day in June, when the rhododendrons, bear-grass, and other wildflowers are in full bloom and the views from the summit of Salmon Butte stretch from Mount Rainier to the Three Sisters. After the initial road walk, this is mostly a shady forest hike with a few small clearings supporting microhabitats and limited views – until you get to the top, that is. The Salmon Butte Trailhead sign is nailed to a tree above a wide trail. Do NOT take this trail: it leads to campsites and the river, which is where most of the occupants of the vehicles at the trailhead are ensconced. Instead, take the road bed up past the boulders blocking it. You’ll pass above campsites above the Salmon River, always busy on a summer weekend. Cross the road bridge over the South Fork Salmon River and continue hiking up the old road bed shaded by red alder, big-leaf maple, western red-cedar, and western hemlock. As you ascend, you’ll pass some massive Douglas-firs on the South Fork side of the road. There are several creeks to cross: when the road was decommissioned, culverts were removed and the trails dips into shallow creek gullies and swings from one side of the original road to the other. Not surprisingly, it is mostly non-native species that have colonized this disturbed area, including foxglove, creeping buttercup, ox-eye daisy, and herb-robert. The road makes a big switchback up to the left and curves up the hill. The trail soon leads right through a thicket of Sitka alder and off the road into the woods at the former trailhead for Salmon Butte. The trail follows an old road bed past a campsite in a secondary forest of cedar, hemlock, and Douglas-fir. Pass a grassy logging landing and traverse up an unlogged slope with a creek running be
Trail Stats
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966 m
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Photos
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