Echo Basin

This short trail has a long season of interest and is especially great if you are looking for a place to see flowers on a hot day in late summer. The trail heads uphill through moist forest until it reaches a creek crossing. Here it becomes a loop, so you can head in either direction. Along the north side of the loop, you pass beneath gigantic, old-growth Alaska cedars (Callitropsis nootkatensis) before heading through a meadow. At the far end of the loop, it opens up into a beautiful wetland, surrounded on three sides by a U-shaped ridge and the summits of North Peak and Echo Peak. Three boardwalks protect the plants and keep your feet from getting too wet. From the spring show of mountain shooting star (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) through midsummer Sukdorf’s paintbrush (Castilleja suksdorfii) to the late summer Cascade grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia cirrata), there’s always something to see here.

Details

Trail: 2 miles round trip (4170–4800′)
Location: Linn County; Willamette National Forest, Sweet Home Ranger District
USGS Map: Echo Mtn, Coffin Mtn; T13S.R6E.S27, 28
Habitats: forest, creek, wet meadow, meadow
Bloom: June to late August

Directions

From Springfield, head east on Hwy 126, the McKenzie Hwy. At the Intersection of Hwy 26 and 20, turn left (west). After about 5 miles turn right (north) on Road 055. If you are coming from Sweet Home drive about 37 miles east on Hwy 20 and turn left onto Road 055. The trailhead is 2 miles up this road on the right and is a little rough right before the trailhead. Park along the road.

Plant Lists

based on 9 trips
plant list by genusplant list by family

Blog Entries

https://westerncascades.com/tag/echo-basin

Map

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