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Mary's Peak
Mary's Peak stands at 4,100 feet elevation and is situated to the west of Corvallis. Mary's Peak is the the tallest mountian in the Coast Range. Sporting miles of trails and breathtaking views, it is a popular destination for people who want to get out of town for a while.
Getting There
From Corvallis take Hwy 20/34 west out of town and through Philomath. On the west end of Philomath you will come to "The Y" where highways 20 and 34 split. Take a left turn heading south on Highway 34. Follow Hwy 34 for several miles. Just past Botkin Rd, Highway 34 begins a twisty climib up "Alsea Mountian" (as ODOT refers to it). There are 33 twists before the highway straightens out again near the top. At the crest of the hill there will be a brown sign pointing to the right. Take a right turn on to Mary's Peak Rd.
Mary's Peak Road
Mary's Peak Rd is the start of your adventure on Mary's Peak. Right at the intersection with Hwy 34 there are two parking lots. These lots usually just serve as a wayside for traffic on Hwy 34. It is 9 miles to the top parking lot from this point.
Please note: The area above the Mary's Peak National Forest Sign at milepost 4 is a fee area and requires a "forest pass" or a $5 day pass at the self-serve kisok. So don't forget to take a $5 with you. Violations will get you cited into US Federal Court in Eugene. A safety consideration is that the weather can change suddenly and without warning on the peak..especially in the winter months. Be prepared for the temperature to drop as you proceed up the peak. The posted speed limiton the road is 30 mph, and I think that is just about right.
The first wonder that you will come to is Alder Creek Falls. It is located around milepost 2.5. This is a little creek that is draining down the side of the peak. It's quite picturesque and is worth a pause to look at.
Alsea valley
Further up at milepost 3.5 is a wayside parkinglot. If you turn in and face back the way you came up you will see a vew of what I call the Alsea valley. It is quite spectacular at sunrise.
Proceeding up the road you will find yourself going..down.. It's only tempoary though. Keep your eyes peeled for some large tall trees on the right as you go past the sign for the Corvallis Watershed. Those trees are quite grand. Soon you will see a sign that says "Loose Gravel". They mean it. There is a section of road that hasn't been fixed since 1985! Slow down as this section grows the largest potholes. A short distance away is the intersection with the road that leads to Harlin. It is a gravel road that is primarly used for log trucks. If you venture down this road some other day, a GPS is a must if you want to get back out.
Conners Camp is the next wayside that you will come to. There is a parking lot and an outhouse. There has been a brown spotted skunk living in and around the trash bin near the outhouse for several years now. I would recomend just staying clear of the critter. Conners Camp also has the trailhead to the East Ridge trail.
East Ridge Traihead
The trail runs north against Mary's Peak and then starts a steep switchback climb up the east ridge of Mary's Peak. It's about a 3 mile hike to the top parking lot and about 1600' elevation gain. Be prepared for the climb with proper footgear, provisions, water, outerwear and communications.
Slightly past Conners Camp is the gate on Mary's Peak Road. This gate is closed from December 1 until late spring. Many people wonder why the road is gated, so here is the low down on the gate.
Gate at milepost 5
During the mid 1990's the USFS tried to make Mary's Peak a snow recreation area. They encountered many problems trying to keep the road open. Because of the steep grade, only a grader was able to plow the road. There was also a problem with the road icing up in the exposed areas. Then there were many times folks became stranded on top when the weather suddenly changed. Finally after several years the reality was that there was not enough funds available to keep the road open. A gate was installed and we have lived with it ever since. In the spring you can call 750-7000 to see if the gate is still closed.
Later this spring (after the gate opens) we'll finish our journey to the top of Mary's Peak!
Additional Information
More information about Mary's Peakcan be found on the USFS website.
North Ridge Trail
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