Upper Salmon River Hike

Overview

The Salmon River is a designated National Wild and Scenic River for much of its length, with about half of its course contained within different segments of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. The east end of the Salmon River Trail #742 connects with the Jackpot Meadows Trail #492, which heads south to connect with the Pacific Crest Trail. This upper end of the Salmon River Trail is quite easy to reach via Trillium Lake and yet sees few hikers, thus almost guaranteeing a day of solitude or an overnight camp without human neighbors. Note that the farther you get down the trail, you’re more likely to encounter blowdown that needs to be negotiated. The Salmon River Trail begins from the pull through and heads downhill through rhododendrons and bear-grass. It’s a mixed lower montane forest here of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, silver fir, noble fir, western white pine and even a few Engelmann spruce. Huckleberry bushes fringe the trail. You’ll cross Mud Creek, which drains Trillium Lake, on a single-rail log bridge in a skunk-cabbage/lady fern/willow/cedar bottomland and hike up over a ridge crest. (At the crest, you can make a detour about 40 yards to the left to a rockpile view of the forested slopes of the Salmon River valley.) Then you’ll descend to the first of three crossings of Fir Tree Creek, this one on stepping stones. Notice the old burn snags in the forest from the extensive Sherar Burn of the mid-nineteenth century. Right after crossing Fir Tree Creek, you’ll see a trail running up to the right, the formerly abandoned Dry Lake Trail #672. (Except for a few stepover logs, Trailkeepers of Oregon brushed out the Dry Lake Trail in 2019-2020.) A new sign at the junction directs you to keep on the Salmon River Trail #742. Now the trail makes a traverse and crosses Fir Tree Creek where it runs partially underground in a vine maple thicket near a scree slope. The route then traverses a dry slope of rhododendron and salal before making a sharp switchback down. You’re now above the Salmon River and can hear it

Trail Stats

Photos

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500px-UpperSalmonRiverMap

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250px-Linney_Creek_Camp%2C_Salmon_River

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250px-Footbridge_over_Mud_Creek%2C_Salmon_River_Trail

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400px-Salmon_River_at_campsite%2C_Salmon_River_Trail

TKO put tools to trail here.png

TKO put tools to trail here.png

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