Tag: Jefferson Park

Whitewater Trail to Jefferson Park – 07/14/2025

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date July 17, 2025
3 Comments on Whitewater Trail to Jefferson Park – 07/14/2025

I had another solo week of vacation while Heather had to work (boo), and I kicked it off with a visit to the recently reopened Whitewater Trailhead. The trailhead had been closed after the Labor Day fires in 2020 and remained so until late Autumn 2024. The Whitewater Trail was the trail we used the time we visited Jefferson Park in 2011 as well as 2014 and 2015.

In all this would be my 9th visit to Jefferson Park which is the arguably my favorite spot in the Oregon Cascades outside of Crater Lake. Our most recent visit was last September via the Woodpecker Ridge Trail (post). The earliest date of any of the previous visits had been the 2015 visit on August 8th. That was a dry year leaving the flowers and other vegetation looking more like September than early August. We had always avoided July to avoid the mosquitos that follow the snow melt. They tend to be very attracted to Heather and will harass her unforgivingly. With her having to sit this one out I thought it would be a good time to finally try a July visit. I secured my Central Cascades Wilderness Permit and got an extra early start to avoid the heat of the day.

There were about a half dozen cars parked at the trailhead when I arrived at 5:30am.

The trail is in good shape and did not need to be rerouted due to the fire. Regardless it was a different experience due to the lack of trees along the route which created new views nearly the entire 4.2-miles to its end at the Pacific Crest Trail.

Northwestern rabbit-tobacco

Entering the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Pearly everlasting

Mt. Jefferson

White-veined and one-sided wintergreen

The Three Pyramids (post) on the left and Bachelor & Coffin Mountain (post) on the right.

Penstemon along the trail with Mt. Jefferson in the distance.

Lousewort

Fading Washington lily.

Thimbleberry

Mt. Jefferson, the Three Sisters, and Three Fingered Jack

The Three Sisters and Three Fingered Jack

Boca Cave (post) below Triangulation Peak.

Boca Cave

Pika! It was great to see several of these “rock rabbits” scurrying about the rock fields along the trails today.

Lewis’ monkeyflower

Woodpecker

Aster

Yarrow and penstemon

Whitewater Falls

Scarlet gilia

Stonecrop

Scouler’s bluebells

Oregon sunshine

Bleeding heart

Phacelia and rosy spirea

Aster?

Looking for pikas….

Found one!

Valerian, ragwort and bleeding heart

Whitewater Creek crossing.

Yellow monkeyflower

Marsh marigolds

Junction with the Pacific Crest Trail.

The mosquito activity had picked up near the Whitewater Creek crossing and they remained a bit of a nuisance throughout Jefferson Park, but they weren’t too bad unless I stopped for an extended period of time.

Arnica

Lupine with Mt. Jeferson in the background.

Junco

Sign announcing Jefferson Park.

Wildflowers at the entrance to Jefferson Park.

More wildflowers near the entrance.

Lupine along Whitewater Creek

We almost always see a pika in the rocks along this stretch.

Cinquefoil

Park Butte

I stuck to the PCT through Jefferson Park with the plan being to start visiting the lakes from the northern end with Russell Lake. There were many pauses to look back over my shoulder at Mt. Jefferson.

Snowmelt pond along the PCT.

Shooting stars and pink mountain heather.

Field of paintbrush and mountain heather on the far side of Jefferson Park.

Paintbrush lining the PCT heading toward Park Butte.

The only patch of snow still covering the PCT along this section was on a north facing hill prior to descending to the South Breitenbush River.

South Breitenbush River

Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake.

Marsh marigolds

Park Butte from Russell Lake.

Bog laurel

I took a short break at Russell Lake before being prompted to continue by the host of mosquitos that were beginning to congregate around me.
I followed one of the trails around the lake through an unoccupied campsite and back to the PCT above the snow covered portion.

Campsite with a “No Fires” reminder post.

Moth

Heading south on the PCT near its junction with the South Breitenbush Trail.

I turned right on the South Breitenbush Trail which would lead me down to a junction with a side trail to Park Lake.

South Breitenbush Trail

Another snowmelt pond.

There was a little more snow remaining along this stretch of trail.

Heading down toward the junction.

Lewis’ monkeyflower

South Breitenbush River from the trail.

I turned uphill on the obvious trail and climb over a hill then dropped down to Park Lake.

Going up!

Park Lake

Sandwort

After tagging Park Lake I headed toward Rock Lake with a quick detour to Scout Lake first.

Alpine false dandelion

Looking back at Park Lake and Park Butte.

Either an aster or fleabane.

Mt. Jefferson from Scout Lake. One of the advantages of visiting earlier in the year was the location of the Sun overhead. Later in the Summer it has moved far enough south to make getting a good photo from this angle hard. The disadvantage of course was not being able to sit longer and enjoy the view sans mosquitos.

After getting a couple of shots of Scout Lake I made my way over to Rock Lake.

I wanted to get a view of Mt. Jefferson from this lake as well so I made my way around the lake counterclockwise.

At the SE side of the lake I followed a trail up a small hill and made my way to Bays Lake.

Rock Lake and Park Butte from the hill.

Bays Lake

I again headed counterclockwise around this lake on what began as a good trail.

Clodius parnassian

Mt. Jefferson from the outlet of Bays Lake.

Frog hanging out at the outlet.

Park Butte from Bays Lake.

The trail I was following led to an occupied camp site (the only one that I encountered this day) so I followed a fainter path to swing around them. I rejoined the original path I’d been following but I wound up losing it along the rocky shore of Bays Lake. Looking at my 2015 track the “good” trail was above the rocks, but I didn’t have that track handy, so I picked my way along the rocks until things got really rough and I bailed straight uphill.

Small pond above Bays Lake.

Climbing above the rocks.

Park Butte and Bays Lake

Pond above Bays Lake.

I found clear trails above the rocks and followed them for 0.2-miles. At that point I was back on my 2015 route, but I knew that trail curved back ENE to pass near Scout Lake before intersecting the PCT. The PCT wasn’t too far below where I was and when I saw a fairly clear path heading in that direction I decided to follow it. Long story short this path got very faint as it passed through an area that had been impacted by one of the fires. I was debating whether to turn back or try and continue downhill when I spotted a couple of hikers heading into the park. The PCT was close enough that I decided to pick my way down to the trail. I wouldn’t recommend this route, but it worked out.

Looking up at where I came down.

Back on the PCT I headed for the Whitewater Trail and my car.

No pika sightings on the way back but I did hear a few “meeps”.

Beetles on beargrass

The meadow at the entrance of Jefferson Park was now in full sunlight.

Lupine

I believe this is an arnica.

It was heating up fast on the exposed Whitewater Trail. The lack of tree cover does allow for some epic views, but it also means there is no escaping the sun.

Penstemon

Bee visiting stonecrop.

I don’t recall this rock formation from our previous hikes, another thing revealed by the fires.

There were at least five checkerspot butterflies on this clump of aster.

Nowhere to hide from the heat.

Mt. Jefferson, the Three Sisters and Three Fingered Jack

Fireweed

Black-backed woodpecker

There were copious amounts of trailing blackberries along the lower portion of the Whitewater Trail, some of which were ripe (and eaten).

This patch of spreading dogbane was being visited by over a half dozen butterflies of different varieties as well as some other pollinators.

Arriving back at the trailhead.

Today’s route around Jefferson Park came in at 13.3 miles with just under 2350′ of elevation gain.

It was bittersweet to revisit the Whitewater Trail. It was tough to see how intensely the fires had burned the area, but the trail was in good shape and the hike was very enjoyable. I had passed a number of people heading up on my way out including a Forest Service Ranger. We talked for a bit, and he asked if I’d seen any fire rings or trash, which I hadn’t. He eventually got around to asking to see my Cascade Wilderness Permit which I had ready on my phone (and a paper copy in my pack). It was actually exciting to be asked to show the permit since we always make sure we have the required permits whether it be California Campfire, National Park Entry, Central Cascades, or a county park, but we almost never are asked for proof that we have them. I know that there are some out there that remain vehemently opposed to the permit system, but there are no easy answers to overcrowding and overuse. It’s the system in place and we’ll continue to respect that. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Jefferson Park 2025

Tags bays lake, Central Cascade Wilderness Permit, hiking, Jefferson Park, Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park lake, PCT, rock lake, Russell Lake, scout lake, whitewater trail, Whitewater Trailhead, wildflowers

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Woodpecker Trail to Jefferson Park – 09/13/2024

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date September 16, 2024
1 Comment on Woodpecker Trail to Jefferson Park – 09/13/2024

Our first visit to Jefferson Park was way back in 2011 and it made such an impact on us that we revisited yearly up to 2017 when the lightning sparked Whitewater Fire forced us to skip a year. We returned in 2018 (post) and then decided to take a break from our yearly visits. Then in 2020 the Lionshead Fire, driven by strong easterly winds, raced through the area before combining with the Beachie Fire on 9/7/20. There are still closures in effect due to that fire, but the Woodpecker Trailhead has since been reopened and we thought it was time to revisit an old friend.

We had used the Woodpecker Trailhead for our 2016 visit (post) prior to either of the fires impacting the area. This was also before the Central Cascade Wilderness Permits were enacted. Currently the Woodpecker Trailhead only requires a free self-issued permit for day-use which can be obtained at the trailhead. Overnight permits are required for the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness regardless of which trailhead is used from 6/15 to 10/15.

Heather and I had set different goals for the day. I had my sights set on finally visiting Sprague Lake which is located just below Park Ridge (post) and requires off-trail navigation. Heather had set a more sensible goal of stopping at Scout Lake which is the first lake that you reach when entering Jefferson Park from the SW. Given our different goals we established a meeting spot on the west side of Scout Lake and set off at our own paces.
Another reminder that overnight permits are required in the wilderness.

Due to the two recent fires having burned over the entire route of our planned hikes the vast majority of the trails up to Jefferson Park are devoid of any tree cover. Luckily for us it was in the upper 30’s when we set off and the highs were set to be in the upper 50’s in Jefferson Park and low 70’s at the trailhead. It was also forecast to be mostly clear skies as recently cooler temperatures combined with rain and even some snow at higher elevations had helped to suppress the numerous fires currently burning in other parts of the Cascades and eastern Oregon.
Low clouds in the valley.

Mt. Jefferson through some of the snags with a few surviving trees on the right.

After an initial steep climb the trail levels out then descends slightly into a patch of trees that survived the fires. At the 1.2-mile mark it enters the Mount Jefferson Wilderness.

Just under a half mile later the trail climbed to an unsigned junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
Mt. Jefferson from the junction, note the rock cairn on the left marking the PCT.

The cairn at the junction.

We turned left on the PCT and followed it through the fire scars for 2.6-miles to a crossing of Russell Creek.
Triangulation Peak (post) getting hit with sunlight with Whitewater Lake (lower right) in Mt. Jefferson’s shadow.

Whitewater Lake

Triangulation Point and Bocca Cave (Trailheads still closed.)

Tarn 0.3-miles from the junction.

Mt. Jefferson reflecting in the tarn.

Ducks on the tarn.

The Sentinel Hills with Park Butte behind to the right. The Whitewater Trail (post) traverses the hillside below the Sentinel Hills, but that trailhead is also still closed.

The fires did open up fairly consistent views of the mountain.

A few remaining penstemon blossoms.

Heading down to the Russell Creek crossing.

This can be a tricky crossing at times, but there was a makeshift bridge which made it fairly easy this time.

Aster and pearly everlasting near the creek.

Beyond Russell Creek the PCT climbed for half a mile to a junction with the Whitewater Trail where we turned right sticking to the PCT.

We started seeing more trees that had survived the fire as we got closer to Jefferson Park.

Gentians and aster

Grass-of-parnassus

From this junction it was just under a mile to the first of several signed trails leading to Scout Lake off the PCT.
There were patches of burned forest along this stretch.

Approximately 0.4-miles from the junction the trail crosses Whitewater Creek.

From the other side of Whitewater Creek the views of Mt. Jefferson are amazing.

Based on the barred sides I believe this is a black-backed woodpecker.

Unofficial use trails are an issue in Jefferson Park which has prompted the Forest Service to install a number of “Closed for Rehabilitation” sign such as the one on the left side of the trail.

They’ve also added quite a few signs to indicated sanctioned trails. Typically in wilderness areas the Forest Service tries to keep signage to a minimum, but overuse has led them to add additional signs.

Another sign with Park Butte in background.

Since I was headed for Park Ridge I ignored the trails to Scout Lake for now and continued on the PCT for three quarters of a mile beyond the first sign for Scout Lake to a sign for Russell Lake on the right side of the trail.

The last of the pointers for Scout Lake.

PCT heading for Park Butte and Park Ridge.

Russell Lake pointer.

Tags hiking, Jefferson Park, mountain goat, Mt. Hood National Forest, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park butte, PCT, Russell Creek, Russell Lake, scout lake, Sprague Lake, whitewater creek, whitewater trail, Willamette National Forest, Woodpecker Ridge, Woodpecker Trailhead

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

South Breitenbush Trail to Jefferson Park 8/11/18

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date August 19, 2018
4 Comments on South Breitenbush Trail to Jefferson Park 8/11/18

**Note the 2020 Lionshead Fire burned the area covered by this hike.**

We kicked off six days of hiking with a visit to Jefferson Park. Since 2011 Jefferson Park had been an annual destination until last year when we were forced to skip our visit due to the Whitewater Fire. For this years visit we started at the South Breitenbush Trailhead.

This was our second time on this trail with our first coming in 2013 (post). We had remembered that the trail was quite rocky, but forgotten how much more of a climb it was than either the Whitewater (post) or Woodpecker Ridge (post) trails. The Whitewater Trail remains closed for now due to the fire while the Woodpecker Ridge Trail is open but undergoing repairs by the Forest Service. The other option to reach Jefferson Park is from the north via the PCT over Park Ridge (post) but one time driving the road to that trailhead was enough for us.

We followed the South Breitenbush Trail uphill through the trees along the increasingly rocky tread.

At the two mile mark we found that the Forest Service had replaced the sign for the Bear Point Trail, a hike that is on our schedule for next year.
South Breitbenbush Trail junction with the Bear Point Trail Bear Point Trail sign 2013

Bear Point Trail sign 2018

There aren’t many views of Mt. Jefferson along the lower portion of the trail and on this day the mountain was playing peak-a-boo through some clouds.

We noticed another difference at the 4.2 mile mark where the trail passes a small pond. This years drought conditions were obvious by the difference in the water present.
8/19/2013

8/11/2018

Just over a half mile from the pond the trail passes over a ridge and descends through a rock field where we spotted one of our favorite animals, a pika.

After the descent the trail levels out somewhat as it passes through wildflower meadows before arriving alongside the South Breitenbush River.

As we neared a junction with a side trail to Park Lake at the six mile mark a break in the clouds finally revealed Mt. Jefferson.

We decided to return via Park Lake so we stuck to the South Breitenbush Trail after crossing the river on rocks and climbed for nearly a half mile to its end at the Pacific Crest Trail.

South Breitenbush Trail sign at the PCT junction.

PCT heading south through Jefferson Park.

We turned left on the PCT and headed north crossing the river again before turning right toward Russell Lake after .2 miles.

Russell Lake never disappoints. We passed around its north end and took a break on some rocks on its SE side.

Park Butte

After a snack we continued around the lake for a bit before veering to the SW and returning to the PCT which we followed south for .3 miles to a sign for Scout and Bays Lakes.

By the time we had reached Scout Lake the clouds had gained the upper hand and Mt. Jefferson had all but vanished.

With the mountain hidden and a five day backpacking trip beginning the next day we decided to skip Bays Lake and turned right at a sign for Rock and Park Lakes.

We likewise skipped Rock Lake this time staying above it and passing Park Lake.

We returned to the South Breitenbush Trail and headed back down to the trailhead. With the clouds rising to overtake Mt. Jefferson there was a better view of the surrounding valleys and ridges which showed the scars of the Whitewater Fire.

Aside from a few trees on hilltops surrounding the park there was no other visible sign of the Whitewater fire in the areas we visited.

We had been a little surprised by the lack of people we encountered in Jefferson Park but we were apparently just a bit early because we passed a lot of people heading up as we were descending. We made it back to our car by 1:30pm after hiking 14.3 miles and headed home to pack. It had been a relatively quick visit to Jefferson Park but we were planning on being on the road by 5am the next morning in hopes of reaching the Elkhorn Crest Trailhead before 11am. Happy Trails!

Flickr: South Breitenbush Trail to Jefferson Park

Tags Bear Point Trail, hiking, Jefferson Park, Mt. Jefferson, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park butte, PCT, Pika, Russell Lake, scout lake, south breitenbush river, South Breitenbush Trail, Whitewater Fire

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Throwback Thursday Trip report

Throwback Thursday – Jefferson Park Ridge

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date March 1, 2018
7 Comments on Throwback Thursday – Jefferson Park Ridge

**Note the 2020 Lionshead Fire burned the area covered by this hike.**

This week’s Throwback Thursday hike features our second hike to Jefferson Park. Jefferson Park had been the one destination that we had visited each year starting in 2011. Unfortunately that streak ended in 2017 due to the area being closed by the Whitewater Fire. That fire started along the Whitewater Trail which we used in 2011, 2014, and 2015 and also swept over the Woodpecker Ridge Trail which we took in 2016. There are two other approaches for day hikes to Jefferson Park which appear to have escaped the Whitewater Fire for the most part, the South Breitenbush Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail from Forest Road 4220. In 2013 we used the South Breitenbush Trail and on October 7th, 2012 we completed the hike featured in the post.

Of the four approaches we’ve done this was the most scenic in large part due to the dramatic view from Park Ridge. It is also the approach with the worst (by far) drive to the trailhead. Forest Road 4220 aka Oregon Skyline Road can be accessed via Forest Road 46 from the north (Portland) by turning left off of FR 46 21.8 miles beyond Ripplebrook onto FR 4690 for 8.1 miles then turning right onto FR 4220 at a stop sign. As FR 4220 passes the Olallie Lake Resort and Horseshoe Lake Campground it deteriorates. Beyond the Horseshoe Lake Campground the final two miles may be impassable to passenger cars. From the south (Salem or Bend) the trailhead is accessed from the other end of FR 4220. From Detroit, OR we took FR 46 north for 16.9 miles to a junction where we turned right onto FR 4220. The 6.5 mile drive to the trailhead was narrow and rough and can be impassable when wet or snowy. The drive was bad enough that we have no plans to repeat it despite this being a very good hike.

We arrived at the large parking area relieved to be done with the drive.
Big parking lot at the Pacific Crest Trail

The large parking area was fairly empty due to it being fairly late in the year so we had the trail to ourselves as we headed south on the PCT.
Pacific Crest Trail

Not far from the trailhead we passed some talus where we spotted a pika for the first time.
Pacific Crest Trail

Pika

We then passed through a short section of forest burned in the 2010 Pyramid Butte Fire.
Huckleberry bushes

Pyramid Butte

We had planned on taking a side trail to Pyramid Butte as there had been a trail to the top of the butte but the fire had made the area confusing so we decided to stick to the PCT. We were soon out of the burned area and passing through forest colored with red huckleberry leaves.
Pacific Crest Trail

From the trailhead the PCT gained 1400′ in 3.7 miles to its crest on Park Ridge but much of the gain was gradual especially early on. The elevation gain provided for some excellent views to the north where Mt. Hood was visible beyond Pyramid Butte.
Ruddy Hill, Pyramid Butte, Mt. Hood and Olallie Butte

Pyramid Butte and Mt. Hood

To the south though the much closer Mt. Jefferson merely peaked over the top of Park Ridge.

Mt. Jefferson behind Park Ridge

Pacific Crest Trail

It was a little chilly and got chillier as we approached Park Ridge. Snow patches and partially frozen ponds lined the trail as we began to leave the trees and climb up the ridges northern flank.
Frozen pond along the Pacific Crest Trail

Frost around the pond

Park Butte

Pacific Crest Trail

Rock cairns and posts helped mark the way through the rocks which had replaced the meadows and we followed existing footprints through patches of snow.
Pacific Crest Trail

The view north to Mt. Hood from the open ridge was spectacular.
Mt. Hood and Olallie Butte

That view was quickly trumped though as we crested the ridge and finally had a full view of Mt. Jefferson with Jefferson Park below.
Mt. Jefferson, Russel Lake, and Sprauge Lake from Park Ridge

The ridge marks the boundary of the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests.
Sign marking the border between the Willamtte and Mt. Hood National Forests

Sign marking the border between the Willamtte and Mt. Hood National Forests

We took a nice long break on top of the ridge enjoying the views. As we rested a couple on horseback rode by stopping momentarily to discuss the beauty of the area. After resting up we headed down toward Jefferson Park.
Mt. Jefferson and Jefferson Park

It was just under 2 miles down to Russell Lake. The PCT was a little steeper on this side of Park Ridge as it traversed downhill past springs, red huckleberry bushes and meadows with wildflowers still in bloom.
Pacific Crest Trail

Huckleberry bushes along the Pacific Crest Trail

Lupine

Mt. Jefferson from the Pacific Crest Trail

Behind us Park Butte rose from the end of Park Ridge.

We eventually got a good look at Russell Lake.

Before we made it down there though we ran into a small buck.
Small buck along the Pacific Crest Trail

After crossing the dry bed of the South Breitenbush River we turned off the PCT to visit Russell Lake.
Wildflowers along the South Breitenbush River

Mt. Jefferson from Russel Lake

After visiting that lake we returned to the PCT and continued south another three quarter miles to Scout Lake.
Mt. Jefferson

Scout Lake

After another short rest we returned the way we’d come. On the way back the remaining gentians were opening up to the sunlight.

We followed the PCT back up Park Ridge where the views were no less impressive.
Pacific Crest Trail

Mt. Hood and Olallie Butte

Mt. Hood, Olallie Butte and Sara Jane Lake

We cruised back past the now thawed ponds and more blooming gentians to the trailhead where we would once again need to brave FR 4220 in order to get home.
Pond along the Pacific Crest Trail

Gentians

Pyramid Butte, Mt. Hood and Olallie Butte

Ruddy Hill FR 4220 visible below the rocky slope.

We obviously survived the drive back. We hope to get back to Park Ridge someday. We have considered heading up the PCT from Jefferson Park on subsequent visits but have wound up balking at prospect of the 1000′ of elevation gain necessary to get to the top. It will likely be part of a backpacking trip the next time we are up there, until then we have the memories. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Jefferson Park Ridge

Tags Forest Road 4220, hiking, Jefferson Park, Jefferson Park Ridge, Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Mt. Jefferson, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park butte, PCT, Pyramid Butte, Pyramid Butte Fire, Russell Lake, scout lake, south breitenbush river

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Jefferson Park via Woodpecker Ridge

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date August 14, 2016
4 Comments on Jefferson Park via Woodpecker Ridge

**Note the 2017 Whitewater Fire burned a portion of this hike.**

We deiced to try a new approach this year for our annual trip to Jefferson Park. Our plan was to hike the Woodpecker Ridge Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail and then on to Jefferson Park with a possible bushwack to see Russell Creek Falls on the way back. We parked at the Woodpecker Ridge Trailhead which is a little over 5 miles along Forest Road 040.

The Woodpecker Ridge Trail extends approximately 1.8 to the Pacific Crest Trail in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. The trail starts off with a steep climb through the forest before gaining the ridge and leveling out. There were lots of juicy ripe huckleberries along this section. As we hiked along the ridge we entered the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness.
Entering the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness on the Woodpecker Ridge Trail

Unlike some of the other trails that lead to Jefferson Park Mt. Jefferson remained mostly hidden from the Woodpecker Ridge Trail. Only near the end did we get a look at the mountain.
Mt. Jefferson from the Woodpecker Ridge Trail

Shortly after getting our first look at the mountain we arrived at the Pacific Crest Trail and turned left.
Woodpecker Ridge Trail junction with the PCT

We had another Mt. Jefferson sighting from a pond not far from the junction.
Mt. Jefferson from a pond along the Pacific Crest Trail

Most of the views along the PCT were to the NW across the Whitewater Creek drainage to Triangulation Peak and Bocca Cave

Bocca Cave and Triangulation Peak

One of the other differences between this approach and the other trails leading to Jefferson Park is the presence of a sometimes tricky creek crossing. The bridge-less crossing of the glacier fed Russell Creek can be dangerous during high water flow. It was a mostly dry crossing on this morning though.
Russell Creek crossing

Monkeyflower

Russell Creek crossing

Our plan was to recross the stream before too much additional water was added to the flow as the temperatures rose during the day. A few smaller creek crossings brought us to the familiar junction with the Whitewater Creek Trail after a total of 3.2 miles on the PCT.
False hellbore

Junction with the Whitewater Creek Trail

We had come up the Whitewater Trail on our previous visit on 8/8/2015 and were anxious to compare the scenery given how dry the prior year had been. It had looked more like Fall than Mid-Summer on that visit but this year had seen more snow so we were expecting more water, more green, and more flowers. The difference was already noticeable when we arrived at the informational sign for Jefferson Park.

8/8/2015
Entering the Jefferson Park area

8/13/2016
Mt. Jefferson

Shortly after passing the sign the trail passes through a small rock field where we had seen a pika the year before. One greeted us this year in almost in the exact same spot.
Pika

A nice display of paintbrush greeted us as we entered Jefferson Park.
Paintbrush in Jefferson Park

We stuck to the Pacific Crest Trail ignoring the signed trails to Bays and Scout Lakes as we headed for Russell Lake at the far end of Jefferson Park. Along the way we passed a small pond that gave another good example of the difference a year can make.

2015
Pond in Jefferson Park

2016
Mt. Jefferson from Jefferson Park

Patches of paintbrush dotted the meadows along the way providing beautiful scenes.
Mt. Jefferson from Jefferson Park

We followed the PCT to the South Breitenbush River which was lined with wildflowers.
Wildflowers along the South Brietenbush River

Wildflowers along the South Brietenbush River

South Brietenbush River

Wildflowers along the South Brietenbush River

We turned off the PCT and crossed the river to Russell Lake where Mt. Jefferson was reflecting nicely.
Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake

Once again the difference in water level and flowers from the prior year was obvious.

2015
Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake

2016
Mt. Jefferson from Russell Lake

Patches of red paintbrush lined the lake as we made our way around its shore.
Mt. Jeffferson from Russell Lake

Paintbrush along Russell Lake

Park Butte from Russell Lake

After circling Russell Lake we returned to the Pacific Crest Trail and then turned down the South Breitenbush Trail.
Junction with the South Breitenbush Trail

We followed this trail to a meadow overlooking the river.
South Breitenbush River

Wildflowers along the South Breitenbush River

At a rock cairn in the meadow we turned left and headed up a small hill to Park Lake.
Trail to Park Lake

Mt. Jefferson from Park Lake

From Park Lake we followed a trail along a dry creek bed up to Rock Lake.
Mt. Jefferson from Rock Lake

After passing by Rock Lake we crested another small hill and arrived at Bays Lake.
Mt. Jefferson from Bays Lake

We left Bays Lake after a short rest and headed toward Scout Lake passing a small unnamed lake along the way.
Mt. Jefferson from the lake between Bays and Scout Lakes

Park Butte and Scout Lake

Mt. Jefferson from Scout Lake

After visiting Scout Lake we returned to the PCT and headed out of Jefferson Park. We arrived back at the Russell Creek crossing at 11:15am and found that there hadn’t been much change in the water level yet.

The butterflies were out now though.
Skipper

Fritillary butterfly on yarrow

Butterfly on thistle

After recrossing the creek we began watching for a spot to leave the PCT in order to bushwack down to a view of Russell Creek Falls. This waterfall was on my radar based on a report by a fellow hiker and avid waterfall hunter. He had warned of a steep cliffy approach so we weren’t sure if we’d be successful or not. I had done some preliminary scouting using Google Maps and a topographic map to find what had looked like the most suitable ridge to head down. Just off the trail we found an old campsite and then plunged into the forest.
Bushwack to a view of Russell Creek Falls

The ridge was indeed extremely cliffy on the Russell Creek side so we began fighting our way through the brush on the opposite side. We were glad that at least there weren’t any rhododendron plants at that elevation. As we continued down we kept looking for a way back toward the creek but the terrain and forest pushed us further away. After getting quite a ways downstream from the falls we found what appeared to be a possible gully. I began to work on finding a way down but it was very steep and after struggling and slipping twice I began looking to see if we could side hill back upstream. That wasn’t going to happen due to the cliffs lining the creek. I climbed back up to where I had left Heather and we adjusted our plan. We headed back upstream sticking as close to the top of the ridge as possible hoping to get some sort of view of the falls. We managed to find another gully closer to the falls where another steep descent brought us to a view halfway down the cliffs.
Russell Creek Falls

Russell Creek Falls

There wasn’t any way down from the view that looked even close to safe so we declared victory here and took a break before climbing back up to the PCT. The 151′ waterfall was indeed impressive but we can’t recommend attempting to see it. The steep slopes and abrupt cliffs make this a difficult and dangerous goal.

After fighting our way back to the PCT we headed for the Woodpecker Ridge Trail saying goodbye to Mt. Jefferson as we passed the pond.
Mt. Jefferson from a pond along the Pacific Crest Trail

We made it back to the car after a total of 15.5 miles. I thought I had escaped relatively unscathed after the bushwacking adventure but after changing into a pair of shorts I was ambushed by an evil yellow jacket (or jackets) and received a pair of stings on my leg. Those things are just plain mean.

Happy (yellow jacket free) Trails!

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High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Jefferson Park – 2014

**Note the 2017 Whitewater Fire burned a portion of this hike.**

The only location we have visited in each of the last three years is Jefferson Park in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. For awhile it looked like that streak might be broken this year, but then Heather accidentally signed up for a 5k race on what was to be our final weekend of hiking in October. We rescheduled our final October hike and I decided to take advantage of the Columbus Day holiday and head to Jefferson Park to keep my streak alive.

We had rotated the trails we used to reach Jefferson Park between the three most popular approaches – The Whitewater Creek Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail from the north, and the South Breitenbush Trail. Since the Whitewater Creek Trail offered the shortest drive and hike I decided to revisit that trail.

It is also the most popular approach but the parking area was nearly empty when I arrived. It was a surprisingly warm morning despite the forecast of snow for the very next day and I was able to leave my hat and gloves in my pack as I set off. I’d dressed for a typically chilly Fall morning and I wound up having to remove my two lower layers before I’d gone a quarter mile, but once I got my clothing situation corrected I was able to set a nice pace as I climbed along the Sentinel Hills.

The trail started off in the trees offering only brief glimpse of the top of Mt. Jefferson. One and a half miles in an unmarked trail joined from the left coming from Triangulation Peak. Another mile from the junction is where the views started unfolding as the trail wound up and around the Sentinel Hills.

The Three Pyramids

Triangulation Peak

Mt. Jefferson

Fall was on display in the wilderness and the forest was full of color.

The trail joined the Pacific Crest Trail at the 4.2 mile mark which I continued North on for another .9 miles to Jefferson Park.

The view of Mt. Jefferson from the park is the main attraction.

There are many other attractions in the park though including five named lakes, the South Fork Breitenbush River, and wildflower meadows (If you time it right). We had visited all the lakes and the river and seen some of the wildflowers, but we had never headed toward the mountain itself. I decided that was what I was going to do on this visit so I took the first well worn trail leading off to the right from the PCT and headed for Mt. Jefferson.

I wasn’t sure where this trail was going to lead as it climbed through a series of meadows.

Eventually I came to the tree line where a series of rock cairns appeared to lead up a ridge of loose rocks.

I kept going following the cairns as best as I could. As I was climbing I noticed a fellow hiker higher up along the ridge. The view behind was getting better by the minute as the elevation gain was allowing for a great look down at Jefferson Park.

Soon I could see Mt. St. Helens with a fresh ring of snow on its upper reaches.

The final push to the crest of the ridge was steep and full of loose footing and the wind was whipping up dust devils.

The wind had been fairly strong but it was nothing compared to the gusts that met me as when I finally gained the ridge crest. It nearly knocked me off balance so I got low and found a nice big rock to sit down on. The other hiker was about 30 yards up the ridge doing the same thing. We were at the foot of the Jefferson Park Glacier staring up at the summit of Mt. Jefferson.

Unfortunately the Sun was also almost directly in front of us making pictures difficult in that direction but the view back toward Jefferson Park did not have that same problem. Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier had joined Mt. St. Helens on the horizon and the entirety of Jefferson Park was spread out below.

Mt. Rainier & Mt. Hood beyond Park Butte

To the northwest I could see Triangulation Peak and Bocca Cave where we had been about a month earlier. https://wanderingyuncks.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/triangulation-peak-boca-cave-via-cheat-creek/

It appeared that it would have been possible to continue east up the ridge along the glacier but the wind was blowing too hard to attempt going any further so I began my descent back down into the park. Once I had made it back down into the meadows I turned right on the first good trail I came to thinking I had hit the PCT already. It was still early enough I had decided to head across the park and visit Russell Lake and hoped to return past the other four named lakes. I quickly realized that I wasn’t on the PCT and I had taken one of the use trails that crisscross through the park. I decided to continue along it as it was leading me in the correct direction for the lake through a series of meadows. I even found some aster still in bloom along the way.

I ended up at the SE end of Russell Lake which was perfect since we had not been to this side of the lake on our previous trips.

Again the Sun was in a position to wash out some of the picture but the the view from the lake was as amazing as ever.

I walked around the north end of the lake and located the PCT which I turned left on and started to head back. Near the South Fork Breitenbush River I was surprised to see a single paintbrush still blooming in the middle of a meadow.

When I reached the South Breitenbush Trail I left the PCT and headed west. As the trail began descending a small hillside toward the river I turned left at a switchback marked with a rock cairn. This trail led to Park Lake.

Staying to the left of Park Lake I followed the path up to Rock Lake.

And then continued on to Bays Lake.

I took a break at Bays Lake and soaked my feet for a bit before heading to the East and Scout Lake.

Just a short distance to the East of Scout Lake I was back on the PCT right where I had left it that morning. It was time to say goodbye to Jefferson Park for another year.

On the way back down to the trailhead I was finally able to get a few pictures of the mountain without interference from the Sun.

The ridge that I had been on earlier.

The only real bummer of the day was not having Heather there to hike with. This was my first solo hike and I have to say I really missed sharing the experience with her. I found it hard to just stop and enjoy the surroundings as much as we normally would. It was an interesting experience but hopefully not one that happens often. Happy Trails!

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Tags bays lake, bocca cave, hiking, Jefferson Park, jefferson park glacier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park lake, PCT, rock lake, Russell Lake, scout lake, Triangulation Peak, whitewater creek, whitewater trail

High Cascades Hiking Mt. Jefferson Area Oregon Trip report

Jefferson Park via South Breitenbush Trail

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date August 21, 2013
2 Comments on Jefferson Park via South Breitenbush Trail

**Note the 2020 Lionshead Fire burned the area covered by this hike.**

Our hike this week brought us back to what is my personal favorite destination – Jefferson Park. I can’t really say what it is about the area that makes it my favorite, but I think it is a case where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Jefferson Park is home to several lakes, wildflower meadows, berry patches, snow melt ponds, creeks, and the beginnings of the South Fork Breitenbush River. Oh yeah, the back drop to all of this is Mt. Jefferson, Oregon’s 2nd tallest peak at 10,497′. Our first visit came late in September 2011 when we took the Whitewater Trail and entered the park from the south. In October 2012 we took the Pacific Crest Trail from the north up Park Ridge and down into Jefferson Park. This year we would be coming from the west on the South Breitenbush Trail.

This wasn’t our first time on the South Breitenbush Trail. Earlier this year we had hiked a lower portion of the trail along the South Breitenbush Gorge. https://wanderingyuncks.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/south-breitenbush-gorge-trail/ For this hike we drove past that portion of trail to the third trail head 5 miles up road 4685. We set off from the large parking area just as the Sun was beginning to shine on the top of the ridge across the South Fork Breitenbush River’s valley. The forest was dense and quite dark as the Sun was hidden behind the ridge we were climbing. The trail climbed steadily far enough from the river to hide it’s existence. The trees also hid Mt. Jefferson as we crossed several small streams before the forest began thinning as it became drier. I noticed what appeared to be a brushy clearing that might offer a view so I started looking for a side trail. Sure enough I spotted a pair of rocks oddly placed on a small log which signaled a faint path out through the manzanita. A short distance later Mt. Jefferson came into view giving us our first good view of the mountain.

Onward and upward we trudged as the forest became sparser offering more frequent views of the mountain. We started noticing more and more ripe huckleberries as we entered the areas that got more sunlight and made sure we took a good sampling. The trail finally flattened out on a plateau where we encountered our first snow melt pond.

It seemed to belong in Jefferson Park which made us feel like we must be close which turned out to not exactly be the case. We passed through heather meadows that must have been quite a display when they were in bloom and also found some nice patches of wild blueberry bushes where the ripe berries in the sun smelled just like a freshly baked pie. We finally switchbacked down along the edge of a rock slide and followed a flower lined creek toward the South Fork Breitenbush River.

I had begun to think that we might have missed out on most of the wildflowers despite the fact we had come much earlier than in previous years. As usual I was worrying for nothing. Beginning with the creek the number of flowers began to increase and by the time we had traveled a short distance along the river we found the bank was ablaze in yellow and orange.

On the other side of the trail was a field of purple and white below the rock summit of Park Butte.

We had managed to come at a great time when many of the earlier flowers were still in bloom, but there were also later flowers such as gentians on display. To top it off the mosquitoes were no longer a nuisance.

We crossed the river and climbed a small ridge to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and turned north (left) toward Russell Lake. The outlet of Russell Lake is one of the sources of the river and its location between Park Butte and Mt. Jefferson makes it an ideal lunch spot. We ate our lunch (and a few more berries) while we watched a plethora of fish jumping in the lake. It seemed like there was one jumping everywhere you looked, and I even managed to get a picture of one.

After lunch we headed south along the PCT through the meadows of Jefferson Park eventually taking one of the many side trails toward the other lakes of the park. We started at Scout Lake and worked our way around the shore so we were across from Mt. Jefferson.

We then headed west over a small hill and down to blue Bays Lake with its rocky peninsulas.

From Bays Lake we made our way north past small Rock Lake to Park Lake and another great view.

A trail following the outlet of Park Lake led us back to the South Breitenbush Trail near the river crossing.

The wildflowers were even more impressive on the way out as the Sun was now overhead and many of the flowers such as the gentians were opening.

Butterflies had also come out to play.

After having taken all three of the main approaches to Jefferson Park my favorite would be coming in from the north on the PCT over Park Ridge. The view from the ridge is second to none, but the awful road to the trail head also has few rivals. The Whitewater trail was the easiest and offered nice views, but the entrance to Jefferson Park is not as impressive as the others. The South Breitenbush Trail was the longest (6.2miles one way compared to 5.6 & 5.1 respectively) and gained the most elevation but it offered a great variety of scenery and is the least visited of the trails. In reality you can’t go wrong by picking any of these trails as Jefferson Park is well worth the trip. Happy Trails.

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Tags bays lake, blueberries, gentian, hiking, huckleberries, Jefferson Park, Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Mt. Jefferson, Oregon, Pacific Crest Trail, Park butte, Park lake, Park ridge, rock lake, Russell Lake, scout lake, south breitenbush river