o
cKenzie
River
Trail
M Walk, bike or float a nearby national treasure.
T
he federally designated Wild and
Scenic stretch of the McKenzie
River, like the Wild and Scenic
Rogue River in southern Oregon, is world
renowned for its whitewater. And like the
Rogue, if you don’t want to do the river in
a raft or kayak, you can walk or bike along
a National Recreation Trail, one of over
800 trails throughout the country recog-
nized by Congress for their outstanding
scenic and recreational features.
If there were just one place I could rec-
ommend to out-of-towners as a quintes-
sential Lane County experience, it’d be the
McKenzie River Trail. The entire trail is
about 26 miles in length. I’ll cover the
lower half — from Paradise Campground
to Trail Bridge Reservoir — in this col-
umn. The upper half will have to wait for
another time.
Directions: Drive Highway 126 east
from Springfield for about 50 miles. The
Story and photo
by James Johnston
lower (downriver) trailhead begins a little
more than a mile east of McKenzie
Bridge. But the parking lot for this trail-
head is under construction, and the trail
just parallels the highway anyway. So
drive about three miles east of McKenzie
Bridge and take a left into Paradise
Campground and follow the signs for the
trailhead.
The best thing about this hike is you
don’t even have to drive. LTD buses will
take you and your bike all the way to
McKenzie Bridge. The bus leaves Eugene
Station at 8:30 am on weekends and 8:20
am on weekdays.
From the Paradise trailhead it’s about
10 miles to Trail Bridge Reservoir, a hike
that gains 600 feet in elevation. But don’t
worry if you don’t make it the whole way,
some of the best scenery is just upriver
from Paradise. The first couple miles of
trail wind through an absolutely spectacu-
lar old-growth forest of 600-year-old
Douglas firs, with a few short uphill
climbs that offer dramatic views of the
McKenzie’s vivid blue and green waters.
A little more than two miles from the trail-
head, the trail briefly follows a gravel
road, part of the Belknap Springs
facilities.
After Belknap, the trail follows the side
of the highway briefly before ducking
back into the forest. In about a mile and a
half you wind back up to the highway, and
cross the McKenzie on a paved bridge.
The rest of the trail follows the west bank
of the river — the side opposite the high-
way — through more beautiful forest. In
just about three miles, you’ll cross another
paved road. If you look behind you, a short
riverside path to the left leads to Deer
Creek Springs, a small rock-lined hot
springs right next to the bank. It’s a great
way to ease tired muscles, except when the
river’s up and the springs are flooded.
From Deer Creek Springs, it’s another
three miles to the reservoir. If you make it
that far, it’ll be almost a 20-mile round trip
hike, so consider a shuttle. Or better yet,
bring a mountain bike. The McKenzie
River Trail is a classic western Oregon
bike track, suitable for beginning or inter-
mediate riders.
Not to give anything away about the
upper section of the trail, but a lot of bik-
ers will leave a shuttle car at Paradise,
drive to the upper trailhead at Clear Lake
and bike the entire 26 miles downhill. The
trail between Clear Lake and Trail Bridge
will take you past a crystal clear lake,
jagged lava fields, a series of stunning
waterfalls, and a narrow canyon where the
McKenzie River disappears into a subter-
ranean passage to emerge in a turquoise
cataract ...
But that’s another column.
o
JUNE 5, 2003 25