15 min
Overview
The gated roads of Oregon State University's McDonald State Forest are open to recreationists and can be quite busy on weekends. Short trails lead through the forest from various points, so hikers will need to use the roads as part of their excursion. Two such trails are the New Growth and Old Growth Trails, both about half a mile long. These head across a handful of creek drainages that feed Soap Creek. The New Growth Trail was originally constructed in a research area where foresters could monitor growth of high-quality Douglas-fir timber: here the public can now view the research plots. The New Growth Trail connects with the Old Growth Trail, whose little pocket displays some impressive Douglas-firs and grand firs as well as that scraggly indicator of undisturbed woodland, the Pacific yew. At the Lewisburg Saddle Trailhead, there’s an information kiosk with brochures usually available. The forest roads in the area are open to bikers and hikers and horses: they see little official activity on weekends, and it is then that locals take over - on a fine day, the roads can be quite busy. On the east side of the road, two roads diverge. On the right is Harry J. Nettleton Road leading uphill. On the left is William A. Davies Road, which is the one you need to take. The two roads are named after former forest managers. Hike down Davies Road about 200 yards, and come to the brown trailhead sign for the New Growth Trail on the left. This graveled trail switchbacks down leads around a slope into a former clearcut planted with plots of young Douglas-firs at various spacings between 8 to 21 feet. The purpose of this research study is to monitor optimal growth and wood quality based upon various planting configurations. Down to the right are the boggy headwaters of a creek. Forest wildflowers, such as woods violet and bleeding heart, bloom here in the spring. The trail continues to traverse down the slope as it crosses a footbridge over a creek. The path rises after the 12' x 12' plot and hops over a fallen tree. After
Trail Stats
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73 m
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Photos
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