For More InformationOregon Department of Forestry

Forest Grove District Office801 Gales Creek Road

Forest Grove, OR 97116(503) 357-2191

www.oregon.gov/ODF

Be Prepared• Letsomeoneknowyourplans• Lockyourvehicle• Readtrailheadsigns• Packplentyofwater

Protect the Forest• Stayondesignatedtrails• Sharethetrail• Packitin,packitout• Checkcurrentfireconditions

Elk Mountain TrailLength: 4.3miles,1.5milestosummitDiFFicuLty: VeryDifficultElk Creek TrailLength: 4.0 miles DiFFicuLty: ModerateKings Mountain TrailLength: 3.8miles,2.5milestosummitDiFFicuLty: VeryDifficult

tillamook State Forestt r a i L g u i D e

Kings Mountain, Elk Mountain & Elk Creek Trails

Kings Mountain, Elk Mountain & Elk Creek Trails

Pack

I t I n-Pack It

Out

Tilla

mook Forest

HighwayGravel RoadHiking TrailHiking & Mt Biking TrailMiles between points

Trailhead

Camping Private Land

1.4

Highway Milepost Markers

N

0 0.5 1

State Land

Elk Creek Trail West Fork Elk CreekElk Mountain Trail

0.82.0

4.0

Elk Mountain2,788’

1.5

1.3

Kings Mountain3,226’

Kings

Mou

ntai

nTra

il

Dog

Creek

2.4

Wilson River Trail

Wilson River Trail

0.1

25 miles toTillamook

MP25

Kings Mountain

MP26

MP27

Wilso

n

3.5 Wilson River Trail

River

0.1

Elk Mountain Trail

Elk Creek Trail

Elk Creek

Elk Creek

South Fork Wilso

n Rive

r

South Fork Wilson River Road

MP28 43 miles to

Portland

6

6

**cautiOn**Useextracautionwhendrivingonsingle-lanegravelroads

intheforest.Driveslowlyandwatchfortrucktraffic. Bepreparedforchangingtrailandweatherconditions,

steep terrain and loose rock. Printed on recycled paper 6/09

Trailhead AccessBothElkCreekandElkMountainTrailsareaccessedfromElkCreekTrailhead.

Elk Creek TrailheadTravelonOregonHighway6tomilepost28.TurnnorthontoElkCreekRoad,continuethroughthecampgroundandcrossthebridgetothetrailhead.ElkMountainTrailbeginsdirectlybehindtheinformationboard.ElkCreekTrailbeginsontheoldroadpastthelargebouldersatthefarendofthetrailhead.

Kings Mountain TrailheadThistrailheadislocatedonthenorthsideofOregonHighway6nearmilepost25.

About the TrailsThesetrailscanbeenjoyedseparatelyorcombinedtomakeloopoptionsofvaryinglengthsanddifficulty.TheWilsonRiverTrailconnectsKingsMountainandElkCreekTrailsofferinghikersanotherloopoptionforanextendeddayhike.

Elk Mountain TrailThistrailisextremelysteepandnarrow.Reachingthesummitrequiresgaining1,900feetelevationin1.5miles,challengingeventheexperiencedhiker.Becausethistrailisstrenuous,makesuretopackplentyofwaterandbepreparedforchangingweatherconditions.TherewardforthishikeisthebeautifulviewstretchingfromMt.HoodtothePacificOcean.

ToreachElkMountainTrail,climb0.2mileontheWilsonRiverTrail.ThejunctionforElkMountainTrailturnsupwardandviewsoftheWilsonRiverCanyonsoonappear.Afterskirtingafalsesummit,

hikersaregreetedwiththerealElkMountainsummitofferingameadowfullofbeargrass and Indian paintbrushflowersinthesummer.Asummitregisterisavailableforhikerstorecordtheirthoughtsandexperiencetothetop.

Fromhere,hikerscanchoosetoretracetheir

stepsdownthemountainorcontinueontoeitherElkCreekorKingsMountainTrails.Tomakealoop,followthesignnearthesummitwherethetraildivesdownward.Becautious,asthenextmileisloosescreethatoftenrequiresusingyourhandstoguideyoualongthecraggyridgeroute.Onemilebeyondthesummit,ElkMountainTrailbeginstofollowanoldroad.ContinueonemoremiletoreachthejunctionwithKingsMountainTrail.Totheleft,KingsMountainsummitis1.3arduousmiles,orhikersmaycontinueonElkMt.Trail0.75milestoElkCreekTrailwhichreturnstoElkCreekCampgroundin4.0miles.

Elk Creek TrailThistrailislocatedontheoldElkCreekRoadthathasbeenconvertedtoatrail,andisopentomountainbikingandhiking.ThetrailfollowsthemainforkofElkCreekwheresteelheadspawnandriverottershavebeenspotted.Afterthe0.5milemark,thetrailpassestheconfluenceofElkCreekandtheWestForkElkCreek.Redalderandswordferninthevalleybottomdominatethisportionofthetrail.Lookforthesmallyellowmonkeyflowernearseepsalongthecanyonwall.

TheroutecontinuesalongtheWestForkforabout1.0milebeforeitbeginstheascentoutofthecanyon.Asthetrailleavesthestreamside,Douglas-firbecomes

theprimarytreefortherestoftheroute.Thetrailswitchbacksandbeginsclimbingtothewest.Thetrailthenturnsnorthforabout0.75milebeforefinallyswitchbackingtotheridgelineandthejunctionwiththeElkMountainTrailin4.0miles.

Elk Mt. Summit (Photo:BradFrench)

Wildflowers, like this gentian, are abundant in the spring and summer.

Asthenameoftheareasuggests,elkareoftenspottedhere.Fallisruttingseason,whenthemalesareshowingtheirantlersandcallingoutformates.Bothantlersandcallsdefinethehealthandsizeofabull.Large,straightantlersdenoteastrong,fitelkandalowpitchcallsignifiesabroadchest.Inthewinterthemaleslosetheirantlers,buttheygrowbackbythefollowingspringtorepeatthecycle.Lookforevidenceofantlerrubbingsonredaldertreesalongthetrail.

Makesuretoreadandsignthesummitregistertobeamongthosewhohaveconqueredthemountain.AmbitioushikerscancontinuehikingontoElkMountainorElkCreekTrails.

The1.3milesoftrailbetweenKingsMountainSummitandElkMountainTrailareevenmorechallenging.Sectionsofthissegmentaresteep,narrowandtraversealongnarrowledgesrunningaboveandbelowcliffswithsheerdrop-offsinsomeareas.Thistrailcanbedifficulttoseeandfollowinplaces,particularlyduringthewinterorininclementweather.

Kings Mountain TrailThistrailisachallenginghike.InordertoreachthesummitofKingsMountain,hikersfacea2,546-footelevationgainin2.5miles,butthepanoramicviewsfromthetopareworththeeffort.Thetrailisasteepbutgradualclimbthatinsomeplacescanbeascramble,makingsturdybootsandplentyofwateressential.

Theyoungforestyouwalkthroughatthebaseofthemountainwasplantedafterthe1945Tillamookfire.Nearingtheridge,youcanseesmallertreesthatwereseededbyhelicopterduringthereplantingefforts,alongwithstandingdeadtrees,sometimescalled“grayghosts.”

Signsalongthetrailallowhikerstonotetheirelevation.Ashortdistancefromthesummit,apicnictableisapleasantsightandaninvitingplacetorestbeforetacklingthefinalverysteeppushtothetop.

TrAIl InForMATIon

Tillamook Treasures