Devils Ridge Hike

Overview

NOTICE: Trails in this area were affected by the 2020 Lionsgate Fire. Please check current closures in the Willamette National Forest before planning an outing. The hike to Devils Peak begins flat but gains 2,500 of elevation in just over two miles: note that the tread is often gravelly and loose in some of the steepest sections. The trail offers a loop choice in the middle section and a viewpoint across both the Devils Creek and South Fork Breitenbush River drainages. From Devils Peak itself, there is an excellent view of Mount Jefferson and intervening summits such as Triangulation Peak, Outerson Mountain, and Timber Butte. Be aware that the Spotted Owl Trailhead is close to the Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat and Conference Center property, but the trailhead itself can be used by hikers who are not guests; the center also maintains this particular trail system and offers maps of it to those using the facilities. The area has a fractured political history: all of Devils Ridge was nominated in the 1984 Oregon Wilderness Act, but the area was removed before passage of the bill as the Detroit Ranger District engaged in the most aggressive logging campaign of any national forest region in the country. Note: For a shorter, but also steep and rewarding hike, turn around at the Devils Lookout. Also, you can connect with these trails via the Emerald Forest Trail. Park at the South Breitenbush Gorge Trailhead. From the green gate, hike 50 yards on the road and find the unsigned Spotted Owl Trail leading off to the right. Hike through a young forest with an understory of Oregon grape, rhododendron, salal, and grouseberry. The trail enters an old growth grove of western red-cedar, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock. You will pass briefly through another clearcut and reenter old growth woods (In the mid-1980s, this area was the scene of much protest and controversy over the continued logging of old growth forests). Soon the path drops into a lush bottomland of alder, red-cedar, hemlock, and willow. Cross two footbridg

Trail Stats

Photos

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