Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. Douglas Lorain
onto the jeep road.
The abandoned jeep track soon makes a sweeping turn to the left as it steadily climbs through a forest dominated by red alders and bigleaf maples. Soon after this turn the route narrows to become a foot trail. Although blowdown is sometimes a problem, this unmaintained trail remains easy to follow. As always, do your part to keep this path open by removing limbs, rocks, and debris as you hike. More sweeping turns take you to a short but welcome level stretch at about 0.8 mile. Expect to hear tiny winter wrens here belting out their remarkably loud songs.
View east from Kings Mountain Junior
After the level stretch, the trail ascends in a sweeping left turn and comes to a potentially confusing junction with an old trail that angles off to the right. You bear left on the main trail, climb for 0.4 mile, and then reach another junction, this time with a sketchy trail that crosses your route and which may be marked with red plastic tape on the trees.
Go straight, still on the main trail, and cross a slope where two small rock slides have tumbled over the trail making the surface a bit uneven. Despite the rocks, the route remains obvious as you push forward and catch your first glimpses of Kings Mountain to the northeast. At 1.7 miles you come to a small opening on a ridgetop. Ignoring a game trail that goes steeply uphill to the right, you go straight and contour across a steep hillside for 150 yards to an unsigned junction with the well-maintained Wilson River Trail, which angles in from the left. This is the return route of the recommended loop.
To reach Kings Mountain Junior, go straight on the Wilson River Trail and follow it for 100 yards to an unsigned junction on a ridgecrest. The main trail goes straight here, on its way to Lester Creek (see Trip 8). You turn right, however, onto a very steep hiker’s route. Watch your step on this section, especially on the way back down, because loose gravel here makes for poor footing. After 0.2 mile the very steep uphill abates, as you snake along the top of a narrow ridge. The views are excellent, but hikers who are particularly afraid of heights may get a bit squeamish. When you reach the 2188-foot summit of Kings Mountain Junior the views are partially obstructed but still good, especially of the impressively rugged west face of Kings Mountain to the northeast.
One possible return route is to go northeast on a sketchy and overgrown path that goes steeply downhill then back up for 0.3 mile to an unsigned ridgetop junction at a switchback in the well-maintained Kings Mountain Trail. From here, you turn right and descend 1.9 miles to your car. (See Trip 10 for a description of this trail.)
For the recommended loop, however, backtrack downhill to the ridgetop junction with the Wilson River Trail. Turn left (back the way you came), walk 100 yards to the junction with the trail you came in on, and then bear right, going downhill on the Wilson River Trail. This maintained trail has a much gentler grade than the way you came up, so it is easier on the knees. The trail winds down lazy switchbacks and long traverses always in the forest but with occasional views through the trees of Kings Mountain. After about 1.3 miles the trail crosses a small seasonal creek on a bridge a little above an unseen waterfall and, shortly thereafter, reaches the junction with the jeep road you turned onto on the way up. Cross the jeep road and retrace your steps to the Kings Mountain Trailhead.
TRIP 10 Kings Mountain
| Distance | 5.5 miles, Out-and-back | |
| Elevation Gain | 2800 feet | |
| Hiking Time | 3 hours | |
| Optional Map | Tillamook State Forest | |
| Usually Open | Late March to November | |
| Best Time | Mid-May to mid-June | |
| Trail Use | Dogs are allowed, but it’s too rocky and rough for most. | |
| Agency | Forest Grove District, Tillamook State Forest | |
| Difficulty | Difficult |
HIGHLIGHTS If you take only one hike in the upper Wilson River drainage, make it the trail up Kings Mountain. The peak is one of the highest in the northern Oregon Coast Range, and the views from the open meadows atop its 3226-foot summit are terrific. On a clear day you can see, not only the extensive green hills of the Coast Range, but also the Pacific Ocean and even distant snow peaks in the Cascades, including Mounts Hood and Jefferson. The advantage of this hike over neighboring Elk Mountain is that while the total elevation gain is greater, the grade, while still steep, is less exhausting and the trail is better maintained. Finally, the flowers are more abundant in the large meadows atop this peak, so you can luxuriate in views and in the smell and color of the blossoms.
DIRECTIONS Drive west from Portland on State Highway 6 toward Tillamook. Near milepost 25, look for the brown sign with a hiking figure on it, and the small trailhead parking lot for the Kings Mountain Trailhead on the right.
Like so many other paths in western Oregon, this trail begins in a lush forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and red alder whose branches are draped with mosses. The forest floor is covered with sword fern and a low carpet of oxalis and candyflower, both of which feature small white flowers in spring. Just 0.1 mile from the start is a junction with the eastbound Wilson River Trail, which forks off to the right (Trip 11). Go left, then, 20 feet later, go right where the westbound Wilson River Trail departs.
From here, the Kings Mountain Trail makes an irregular but usually gentle climb through attractive woods. At first there are small creeks in the gullies on either side of the trail, but afterward the trail is entirely dry. About 1 mile from the trailhead the forest gets drier and the slopes steeper as you begin to tackle the worst of the climb. As with all paths in this area, you will notice blue paint markings on the trees along the route. These aren’t really necessary, as the trail is obvious throughout. The uphill climb is uneventful (and unrelenting) except near the 2000-foot level. There you’ll find two places where the path stays nearly level for a couple hundred yards as it follows sections of very old roads that seem to come from nowhere and end for no apparent reason.
View north from atop Kings Mountain
Fairly steep climbing eventually leads you to a picnic table right beside the trail, just 0.3 mile from the top. You can stop here for a rest, but save your longer lunch break for the very top, where the view is far superior. The final climb to the summit is quite steep in some sections, with loose gravel that can be a little dangerous on the way back down. On the plus side, most of the final 0.2 mile is a joyous route through open meadows that are ablaze with wildflowers in early June.
Very adventurous hikers can continue this hike over the rugged path that connects Kings Mountain with Elk Mountain to the east. For a description of this difficult route, see Trip 12.
TRIP 11 Upper Wilson River Trail
| Distance |