55. Bachelor Mountain

Summary

Length – 4 ¼ miles one way

Difficulty – Moderate

Season – Summer to autumn

Elevation range –4,160 feet – 5,953 feet

Human imprint – Moderate (plantations in the beginning)

Information - Willamette National Forest, Detroit Ranger District

Primary old growth features

Diverse high-elevation old growth.

Description

The hike to Bachelor Mountain has something for everyone, combining an ascent through varied old-growth forest with flower-filled meadows and rock gardens. Stunning front-row views of Mount Jefferson are seemingly around every corner. Head off to the right on the Bugaboo Ridge Trail (3423), at first through a mature forest, then through an older plantation where Mount Jefferson first makes an appearance. Cross a gravel road after ¾ mile and head west up Bugaboo Ridge.

At first the trail skirts the edge of an older plantation, but larger trees soon appear include several striking Douglas-fir. The forest rapidly transitions to a relatively open mix of high-elevation species featuring beautiful old noble fir and mountain hemlock. A solitary mature western white pine stands next to the trail, noteworthy due its unusual healthy crown. Most white pine have succumbed to an introduced Asian fungus, white pine blister rust, but this tough survivor appears to be resistant.

Stay left at the junction with the Bruno Meadows Trail (3424), then switchback up the slope and head south across the upper end of the same old-growth stand. The trail crosses Bugaboo Ridge and resumes a westward trajectory through younger forest interspersed with rock slopes and dry meadows. Turn right at the junction with the Bachelor Mountain Trail (3420) and climb steadily to the summit.

Views from the top are wide-ranging and impressive. Mount Jefferson is front and center to the east, with excellent views extending south along the Cascade crest to Three Sisters. Aptly named Coffin Mountain lies just to the southwest with the old lookout plainly visible. The summit also provides vistas of recent large fires, including the 2020 Lionshead Fire which drastically altered vast swathes of forest.

25 years of change

Not included in the original guides.

How to get there

Turn west onto FR 2234 off of Highway 22, approximately 13 ½ miles north of the junction with Highway 20 (17 ½ miles south of Detroit). The turn is not well-signed, but is near milepost 68 and immediately crosses a bridge over the signed North Santiam River. FR 2234 is paved for the first 1.6 miles. Continue uphill to the right for another two miles and park at the junction with FR 260, either on the right of FR 2234, or turn left onto FR 260 and immediately park on the right.