Iris Meadow

Iris Meadow is a short, easy hike in Oregon's Philomath Unit. The out-and-back covers about 1.8 miles round trip, or roughly 0.9 miles each way, and climbs about 314 feet one way and about 726 feet round trip. The trail starts near the top of its range at about 1,560 feet. It first heads downhill toward a low point near 1,235 feet, so the descent comes on the way out and most of the climbing comes on the return. The steepest pitch, about an 18 percent grade, sits around mile 0.8, close to the turnaround. Expect that stretch to be the hardest part of the walk back. The highest point, about 1,600 feet, is only slightly above the start. Summer is the most comfortable and driest time to go. A nearby weather station in Corvallis reports typical July and August highs in the low 80s with only about four wet days a month. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run somewhat cooler. Rocky Trail and the Stick in the Eye mountain bike trail both start about 0.1 miles away, and the Connector bike trail is about 0.6 miles off. For paddling, Soap Creek is about 7 miles away.