Hiking In Eugene

Eugene is blessed with a variety of hikes that can be reached without too much effort. Although having access to a vehicle would help, the local bus service will also take you fairly close to some of these locations.

Mt Pisgah

You can take a couple of hours or all day over this hike. It is more like a road than a trail to the 1500ft summit and it is fairly steep, but you can detour off onto many side trails that will get you to the same place eventually. The view from the summit is excellent if you ignore the power lines that straddle the mountain.

At Mt Pisgah’s base there is an arboretum that has many well cared for trails. In Spring, the wildflowers make this an especially pretty place to take a stroll.

Spencer’s Butte

Easily visible from anywhere in Eugene, 2054ft Spencer’s Butte is a great hike with 360° views of the Willamette Valley and even the Three Sisters on a clear day. Because of its proximity to Eugene, it is fairly busy, especially in summer. No trip to Eugene would be complete without a hike up “the Butte”.

Skinner’s Butte

This hike is great to get your bearings if you are a first time visitor to Eugene. Accessible from 3rd Ave East, you can see the town laid out before you. It’s a nice place to watch a sunset, however it is also popular with teenage couples looking for privacy, so take a flashlight and start yelling your “daughter’s” name for some extra fun.

Mt June

Usually inaccessible due to snow from December to April, Mt June is a short but steep hike to a 4618ft summit. You will definitely need a car to get to this trailhead, but the views from the top are fantastic. There are a couple of other hikes nearby to stretch the trip into a full day.

Shortly into the Mt June trail, you can turn off onto the Sawtooth Trail that leads to a round-trip hike of nearly ten miles that includes the 100ft climb of Sawtooth Rock and the views from Hardesty Mountain.

Driving to Mt June, you could easily have missed the small sign indicating a trail to Eagle’s Rest. It is easier to spot on the way back, a couple of miles after the sign directing you to Mt June. Eagle’s Rest is only about 2 miles round trip and gives great views of June and the “Lost Valley”.

Shotgun Creek

If uphill isn’t your thing, or it is winter and you don’t mind the rain, then try this 3½ mile trail. It is about half an hour from Eugene and has a picnic area.

A great book to pick up for more information is “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades” by William L. Sullivan.

General Info Section

Quirky Facts

Downtown Eugene is centered around the little hill called Skinner’s butte. Principal Skinner from “The Simpson’s” was named after this inconspicuous mound.

Geography

Eugene, Oregon is located in the Central Willamette Valley. It is 8 hours drive north of San Francisco by I-5 and 5 hours south of Seattle by the same road.

Accommodation

There is a youth hostel on 2352 Willamette street. Rates are $12 a night or $85 per week. (541.349.0589).

There are many middle of the road motels that can be kinda dirty, but are cheap in the $20-$40 per night range.

Hilton Hotel has a massive structure for the spenders.

There is a cute little Bed & Breakfast in downtown Eugene called the Oval Door Bed & Breakfast.

Transport

Eugene is one of the main stops on the road between Seattle and San Francisco. All buses and trains stop here.

Lane Transit Department (LTD) has an extensive bus sytem throught the Eugene/Springfield area. Rides cost a $1 US or if you buy a pack of tokens, 75 cents each.

Money

US currency. A minimum budget for Eugene would be around 0 dollars per day if you slept outside and begged for food. If you want a roof over your head and cook for yourself at the hostel, $20 per day would be reasonable.

Did you like this article?

    

 

Share it

 

Place a comment

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required) Email (will be not published)  (required) Website

Now you can also comment with your Facebook Account