Hell’s Half Acre
Anything but hellish, this little-used, short trail leads through meadows and woods up to a large sloping meadow with a wonderful wetland area near the base. The trail once continued to Verdun Rock but now disappears in the meadow. The adventurous hiker may still wish to climb up the east or west sides of the meadow to see the south-facing cliffs on both sides. Butterflies abound in the meadows in the summer. There’s also a nice stretch of roadside plants for a couple of miles beyond the trailhead. Be aware that the trail through the lower meadow area is hard to follow. Head straight across this stretch, and when you are nearing the end, head into the woods to the right just before an exceptionally large noble fir. The trail becomes visible again in the woods, although very early in the season, snowbanks may remain here even while flowers are blooming in the upper meadow.
Description Sheet
Details
Trail: 2.4+ miles round trip (4450–~5000′)
Location: eastern Lane County; Willamette National Forest, Middle Fork Ranger District
USGS Map: Mount David Douglas; T22S.R5E.S11,13,14
Habitats: meadow, wet meadow, forest, creek, rock
Bloom: June to August
Directions
Drive east on Hwy 58 for over 15 miles past Oakridge. Just beyond where the railroad trestle crosses over the road, turn left at Rd 5883, Eagle Creek Rd. After 5.5 miles, just before the road makes a hairpin turn to the left, look carefully for a trailhead marked Verdun Rock, somewhat hidden on the right. Park on the far side of the road.
Plant Lists
based on 8 trips
plant list by genus • plant list by family
Blog Entries
https://westerncascades.com/tag/hells-half-acre/
Map
If the Google Earth image doesn’t load properly or you lose the location, just reload the page.