In 1915, Jessie Wright and her husband Perry homesteaded at Illahee Flats on the North Umpqua River. She was a sixteen-year-old bride then and for many years the Wrights packed in supplies with horses and mules for the Forest Service and early hunters in the area. In her later years she wrote an entertaining book describing her life on the North Umpqua entitled “How High the Bounty.”
In 2024, the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club, sans horses and mules, packed in their own supplies for a hike along the North Umpqua Trail on the section named after Jessie Wright. Although the day was probably not worth writing a book about, us modern-day pioneers had a thoroughly good time on this early spring day!
Beginning at Marsters Bridge, the posse of 21 set out with a chill in the air and a spring in our step. Like other sections of the N.U.T., this portion has its own feel and flavor to it. The trail is rather mild, gaining only a few hundred feet from the trailhead up to Boulder Creek. While offering a myriad of river views, the real treat is higher up: way up! The monoliths of Eagle Rock, Rattlesnake Rock, and Old Man Rock can be observed from various places along this section of the trail. Hikers need to be observant, however, as it’s easy to miss these mega-rock formations, even as they loom directly above you through the trees.
After reaching the footbridge at Boulder Creek, the group found spots along the bank of the creek and had a bite to eat, chatted, and admired the beauty of this place. The weather gods had smiled on us this day, and all hikers stayed happy and dry. The only thing that could’ve made the day better was to have a pack mule carry our gear back to the trailhead.
While classic car enthusiasts sat around admiring hot rods, flatbed trucks, and the like during Roseburg’s Graffiti week, some of us opted to just sit around on Pine Bench. Literally, that’s what we did. But we had to get there first. Although not a strenuous hike, the first mile climbs nearly a thousand feet, which made all the hikers who joined me on this day wonder what they had gotten themselves into.
As the group of about 15 of us left the Soda Springs Trailhead just below the Soda Springs Dam (like, it would be somewhere else?…) This short trail intersects with the Bradley Trail, at which point we turned westward. I informed the group that the first mile was the toughest, but that it would be smooth sailing after that. From the viewpoint of my fellow hikers, that comment seemed to be more myth than truth as they huffed and puffed up through the shaded forest. I honestly didn’t think they believed me. But to everyone’s relief, the trail did eventually level off some, but not until we made one last push through a burned area that was exposed to the already hot July sun. I think I just hear someone click “dislike” on this hike…
Redemption for me came when we entered the plateau of Pine Bench after that uphill drudge of a thousand feet. The shade of the tall firs and pines, along with the levelness of the trail got me back into everyone’s good graces. Up here, in this park-like setting, it’s hard to be despondent about anything. It’s one of those places that you could imagine being a pleasant park, or a nice wooded campground. That is, if there were any roads up here. There isn’t. It’s wilderness. Otherwise, I would’ve drove here.
The serene trail that runs east to west here eventually intersects with the Boulder Creek Trail, which heads deep into the Boulder Creek Wilderness. We would only be going about a half mile up to where a small campsite offers some nice cliffy views well above the creek below. It pleased me to see that some trail work had been completed here. A year and a half ago when Colby and I hiked up here, the small side trail to the campsite was passable, but overgrown with brush. Trail work these days is not as common as it used to be, and us hikers truly appreciate any and all efforts that others have put forth to making these paths hiker friendly.
It was near this campsite where we sat upon the world’s largest pine bench to eat lunch. After sharing a few stories and laughs, we commenced the walk back across the “flatueau”. Upon reaching the trail intersection, we stayed on the Boulder Creek Trail which immediately charges straight downhill. Looking back, I think I would’ve led the group back down the Bradley Trail, as it was apparent that the trail workers neglected to clear out this portion of the Boulder Creek trail that heads downhill. It was still in good shape, but there were areas where we had to do some brush-dodging in order to avoid getting whacked in the face by the branches. Also, there wasn’t much to look at here. And it’s rather steep with many switchbacks. My recommendation? Just avoid this portion of the trail. And you’d truly hate yourself if you attempted to go UP this part of the trail!
We soon reached the North Umpqua Trail and headed upriver back to the parking area. This 2-mile stretch is really a road and not a trail, and doesn’t offer much more than the sound of the river with no good views. Just another reason that I should’ve done this hike as a straight out and back hike instead of a loop. That being said, any day hiking is better than any day working!
We got back just as the mercury was hitting the mid 80’s. Some of us cooled off with water that was pouring from a breach in the nearby water flume. After a 6-mile hike in the middle of summer, it’s just what you do.
Overall, I think everyone enjoyed this tour of the world’s largest pine bench. It’s not a stroll through the park, but with some effort, anyone can make it up to Pine Bench and take a stroll through an environment that is very park-like.
After a hour and half drive to the trailhead, 14 enthusiastic hikers started down the North Umpqua Trail to the top view of Lemolo Falls. In 1908, two rangers on horseback named a four-mile ridgeline south of the river as “Dread and Terror” in reference to the disagreeable possibility of fighting forest fires in the impenetrable thickets of white thorn brush blanketing the area. For us, in this day and age, it turned out to be a beautiful, 4-mile out and back along the North Umpqua River with no thorn brush in sight! Views included cascading rapids and small falls culminating at 102-foot Lemolo Falls.
After stopping for a lunch break, we regrouped at our vehicles and proceeded a few miles to the next trailhead that would take us to another perspective of Lemolo Falls. This hike took us a mile or so down the opposite side of the river canyon in a series of switchbacks that led us to the bottom of the falls. Along the way, many rhododendrons and wildflowers were in bloom providing a splash of color. The raging sound of the falls and the huge clouds of spray provided a spectacular visual and auditory extravaganza!
What can be better than a hike on the North Umpqua Trail in the fall of the year? It was a Saturday in November, the 12th to be exact, that the Friends of the Umpqua hiked the Hot Springs segment of the NUT. This section never disappoints. Even though the sky was cloudy and threatened rain now and again it was a glorious fall hike. Autumn trees bring to mind this Psalm, “let all the trees of the forest sing for joy”. On this autumn Saturday the trees were definitely singing for joy!
We started our hike at Toketee Campground with our lunch spot at Columnar Falls, which is technically on the Dread and Terror segment of the NUT. Since the falls are so close to the Hot Springs parking lot, within a quarter mile, why not keep going and eat lunch enjoying the falls?
There’s a faint path through the bushes heading downstream where Surprise Falls can be seen tumbling over mossy rocks. The trail traverses over the top of the falls where the water springs out from the rocks below. From the trail, this “surprise” isn’t fully appreciated, but from below the tumbling water is beautiful.
I think most of the hikers that day had been on this segment multiple times, but this did not lessen everyone’s enjoyment of time spent with friends on a beautiful trail. It was time well spent, soaking in the beauty of creation on such a magnificent Autumn afternoon. I think I did hear the trees of the forest singing.
Narration by Richard O’Neill, edited by Lane Harris
We had hoped this would be a repeat of last year’s superb autumn hike but alas, this was more like winter. It has been raining for the last several weeks and the rain drops have knocked a lot of the leaves down. But while there were little leaves on the trees, the trail and forest floor were covered with them.
Most of the group of ten hikers proceeded past Deer Creek bridge toward Columnar Falls, which is technically on the Dread and Terror section of the N.U.T., but only slightly when approaching from the west. This was the turnaround point of the hike.
The day was chill and rain fell for most of the hike and we all agreed it was a grand hike!
We had a good turnout of 16 for the sunny hike. We also had 3 of our 4 legged friends along for the trip. Riverview is sort of a boring road hike, but it’s on the sunny side of the North Umpqua with nice views overlooking the river. We separated into 2 groups after reaching the junction of Bogus Creek and 6 brave souls went with Richard to the shady side of the river to loop back to the cars, while the rest went on to Fall Creek Falls. We had lunch at the top of the thundering falls. Nice and sunny. The sunny side hikers did about 9 miles and the shady hikers did about 12 miles.
