31 min
Overview
Mount Baldy is the high peak at the east end of Eugene's southern hills. Its summit can be directly reached from two trailheads in the Ridgeline Trail system: the Spring Boulevard Trailhead half a mile to the north and the Dillard East Trailhead half a mile to the south. For a somewhat longer outing, try this excursion from the Dillard West Trailhead, which reaches Mount Baldy via a fairly new extension of the Ridgeline Trail in the Amazon Creek headwaters area. You'll encounter a few gnarly old Douglas-firs on Mount Baldy, in addition to some Willamette Valley ponderosa pines, madrones, and white oaks. Furthermore, views extend to the valley of the Willamette below on to the central Cascades. From the Dillard West Trailhead, walk to the north end of the parking area, and find the trail paralleling Dillard Road. In 0.2 miles, you’ll come to a kiosk and turn up the slope. After cresting the ridge, drop to a junction and make a right. Descend the hillside to switchback among a tangle of blackberries. At the next junction, go right and drop steeply to a junction with a Yield sign. Make a right here to continue down the slope before making a level traverse. Just before a large gnarly Douglas-fir, you can look downhill and see a sign denoting “Ed’s Trail,” a now-decommissioned unofficial route that came up from Amazon Creek. Rise past a maintenance access trail, and hike alongside a powerline corridor, which you’ll soon cross. Head up the slope to cross Dillard Road and come to the Dillard East Trailhead. Take the gravel trail up the slope of Mount Baldy, keeping left at the loop junction and switchbacking twice under oaks and Douglas-firs. A short “view loop” leads left for a vista over the city of Eugene. Meet the ridgeline, and hike under Douglas-firs, getting views across the Wild Hog Creek valley. The trail arrives at the grassy summit of Mount Baldy. Pass a bench with a vista towards the Willamette River and Springfield. Come to a junction, and bear right to make a loop. The trail traverses the open slope p
Trail Stats
0.0 km
155 m
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Photos
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