51. King-Castle Trail

Summary

Length – 2 ½ miles one way

Difficulty – Easy

Season – Year-round

Elevation range – 1,240 feet – 2,000 feet

Human imprint – High (high use, especially mountain bikers; near older plantations)

Information - Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District

Primary old growth features

Year-round access to low-elevation old growth.

Description

The King-Castle Trail (4326) provides an uncommon opportunity to shake off the wintertime blues with an easy, old-growth ramble. Although the trail connects with the Castle Rock Trail for an alternative route to Castle Rock, the lower 2 ½ miles are the nicest part of the trail and usually open year-round.

Head up the trail veering south and east through a ferny and moss-shrouded understory. There are multiple sizes and ages of Douglas-fir throughout this stand, indicating several fires since the oldest firs established themselves. Indeed, most of the older trees have fire scorches on their lower trunk. A small cliff off to the left offers a pleasant picnic perch about ¾ mile from the trailhead.

Trailside old growth finds it best expression shortly after the cliff, continuing for the next mile or so. Here the number of large trees and snags peak, and here is where we saw a pileated woodpecker on a huge snag loudly guarding its nest hole. The trail is mostly heading east below some older clearcuts on private land throughout this mile. Where the trail turns south and starts a steady uphill climb is a logical stopping point.

Hikers can continue through mixed forest up to the Castle Rock Trail and to Castle Rock itself for a great view of the Holiday Farm Fire (2020) and the Three Sisters, but it is 6 ¾ miles from the bottom to the top, and there is an easier route to the summit.

25 years of change

This hike was not included in prior editions.

How to get there

Turn south onto McKenzie River Drive off of State Route 126 (McKenzie Highway), approximately 50 miles east of Eugene (one mile east of the junction with FR 19 (Aufderheide Drive)). Turn right ¾ mile later onto W. King Road immediately crossing Belknap Bridge, an historic covered bridge. Turn left after exiting the bridge, and then turn right 1/10 mile later into the King-Castle Trailhead. Park at the end 100 yards later.