Leave from the Rite Aid parking lot on Ashland Street at 9:00 AM unless otherwise indicated. Bring water, lunch, hat, sunscreen and rain gear as appropriate. TH = trailhead; EDT = estimated drive time; PCT = Pacific Crest Trail; DIM = Dead Indian Memorial Highway. 100 Hikes = 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon, Second Edition. Hike leader:Francie Skinner, 541-840-4042
Website: https://ashlandhiking.org
November 1: Big Tree & Mount Elijah - Oregon Caves
LEAVE TIME 8:00 AM
TH: Merge onto I-5 N 41.0 mi Take exit 55 for US 199/Redwood Highway toward South Grants Pass/Crescent City 0.2 mile Continue onto US-199 S/Redwood Highway 29.6 miles. Drive to OR-46 E 37 minues (20.3 mi) Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve 21000 Caves Highway, Cave Junction, OR 97523
Distance: 9.15 miles loop to Mt. Elijah and back
Elevation Gain: 2,390 feet
Trailhead:Visitor Center, follow Big Tree Trail to the left for 1.32 miles to the widest-girthed Douglas-fir tree known to exist in Oregon. At 1.7 miles, continue along the Mt. Elijah Trail. At 2.74 miles, stay left on the Mt. Elijah trail to the summit. Descend a little over a mile and reconnect on the previous part of the Mt. Elijah Trail. After another mile connect back to the Big Tree trail, but this time turn to the left and return to the trailhead.
Mt. Elijah with a summit of 6,390 feet takes you past meadows and Bigelow Lakes. Clear days offer views of Mt. Shasta and Preston Peak.
EDT: 1 hour 50 minutes. Weather report. RT: 190 miles.
November 8: Ashland Watershed: Lewis Loup
November 15: Fish Lake Trail to High Lakes Shuttle