With travel plans on hold during the pandemic, I’m going to dig into the photo archive and post some pics and recaps of Oregon hikes. First up, Saddle Mountain.
Saddle Mountain is the tallest point in Clatsop County at 3288 feet. Though a very modest elevation, it provides panoramic views all the way to the ocean on a clear day. Saddle Mountain is located a short ways north of Hwy 26 about 10 or 20 miles east of the coast. The trail to the top is three miles long (six miles round trip) with an elevation gain of about 1600 feet. It’s about a three-hour hike.
We hiked this in August of 2018. As is typical for summer in Oregon, the day was overcast in the morning with the clouds burning off by noon. We started around 11a. The views start less than 15 minutes into the hike.
A look up.
A panoramic view as the trail winds around the lower of the two peaks – hence the name “Saddle Mountain”. The trail does not summit the first peak.
A view from the highest point on the first peak.
I’m very close to the top taking a picture looking down at Leena as she comes up the steep final ascent.
Some views from the top.
A view towards the coast – you can see the ocean.
A look back up the trail from the low point in the saddle between the two peaks.
And a few more views from the hike down. The views brightened up since the clouds had burned off.
