All of the following trails have received attention recently, but may be in need of maintenance in places. The work is done in partnership with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
We are looking for trail reports to collect conditions of trails we regularly service. Please send trip reports through our website or email alex@siskiyoumountainclub.org.
Powers & Gold Beach
Tucked away in the far northwest corner of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, these remote ranger districts offer solitude for those willing to take out the map and get off the beaten path.
From coastal redwoods to hardscrabble botanical areas, the best way to plan your next visit to these remote wildlands is the Powers & Gold Beach Districts Map available on our website.
There are Forest Service campgrounds and dispersed camping throughout these areas, and potentially long drive times between services. Pick up the map, always Leave No Trace, and always feel free to call 458-254-0657 for help planning.
Panther Ridge Trail
Winding its way along the northwestern boundary of the Wild Rogue Wilderness, the trail has multiple access points and leads to some prolific outcrops with views of the surrounding mountains. The trail assumes mostly a gentle grade and is suitable for the young and old, and there's plenty of nearby camping.
Moody weather on a detour of the Panther Ridge Trail
Iron Mountain Trail
On your long drive to the Iron Mountain Trail, you will be convinced that you are exploring coastal geology. Then out from nowhere, everything changes. Fertile forests flush with western hemlock and Douglas-fir makes way to harsh escarpments of red peridotite that grow scatterings of knobcone, lodgepole, western white, and Jeffrey pine. Colonies of Darlingtonia jettison out from fragile fens, black ferns, flowers and succulents poking their way up from rugged slopes.
Volunteers on the Iron Mountain Trail
This is the northernmost showing of the Josephine Ultramafic sheet, and best explored via this short-and-sweet trail traversing this very remote summit in the Powers Ranger District. Read more about the Iron Mountain Botanical Area here.
Before-n-After on the Iron mountain Trail
A hop and skip from there to Barklow Mountain Trail
Trails are a hot commodity in the Copper Salmon Wilderness, so much that the Barklow Mountain Trail is the only one. But it was recently worked on by a staff crew. It includes two trailheads.
Before-n-after on the Barklow Mountain Trail
Rogue River Trail
Most people avoid the national recreation trail in the dog days of summer, for good reason. The trail traverses the south slope of a canyon with low-elevations and blunt exposure. But the days are getting a little shorter and the mornings are cool, so get your hiking done early in the day, take a nap, and enjoy the afternoons along the banks of the Rogue and the cool creeks running into it.
If you need to put in a couple more miles after sun sets behind the canyon walls, do it. Not up for 40 miles? Find a shorter iteration of the trail on the Powers & Gold Beach District Map.
Mt. Bolivar
If you're going to make your way up as high as Eden Valley and the surrounding area, you may as well climb Mt. Bolivar, the highest point in the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area. From its perch, take in the canyon and read more about how the peak was named.
High Siskiyous and Wild Rivers
The Siskiyou Mountains and Wild Rivers ranger districts connect in the Red Buttes, where crews have been busy the last few summers. Pick up the Wild Rivers map here, which includes all the trails featured below.
Butte Fork-Applegate Trail
The trail originates from Horse Camp, crosses the Butte Fork-Applegate River and slowly climbs to the river's source at Azalea Lake. We've serviced nearly the entirety of the trail this season, though its lower sections are in constant flux following the 2020 Devils Fire.
Bolan Lake Trail
Before-n-after on the Bolan Lake Trail
Under crew leader Tiffani Ayres, our corps crew cleaned up the trail in June. The pack trail was once used to service the Bolan Mountain Lookout, which burned in the 2020 Slater Fire and is now being rebuilt and slated to be put back into the reservation system.
Toward the top of the trail is a rugged subalpine glade that rivals the view from the mountaintop. Car camp at the lake for a night and find the trail up from the northern shore of the lake.
Frog Pond Loop
This short, steep and sweet loop connects the Cameron Meadows to the Frog Pond Trails. It is high enough to get you out of the heat, and we last worked on it in the fall of 2023. If you have condition updates from since then, let us know!
Coast & Cascades
A couple of honorable mentions, as well as another request for conditions from our readers.
Humbug Mountain
The views of the Pacific Ocean from the summit will spin your head, but even on a foggy day the forest along the loop is worth the hike. Learn more here.
Upper Rogue: Hammaker to Crater Viewpoint
We had this section of the trail open last fall, but expect a lot more down. If you're feeling adventurous, check this section out and let us know how many logs are down or email alex@siskiyoumountainclub.org to plan a scouting trip.