Wilson River Wagon Road Trail

Wilson River Wagon Road Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in western Oregon, about 1.6 miles long and with a total climb of 613 feet. The route starts and ends at roughly 1,685 feet and reaches a high point of 1,848 feet, so the whole trip rises and falls that much over its 3.2-mile length. It is a rolling climb, with the steepest stretch at about 0.5 miles in, peaking at 11 percent grade. The State Land Board manages the land, which falls within the Forest Development Fund of the Board of Forestry. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Vernonia, about 20 miles away, put July and August highs in the upper 70s with only four wet days a month. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. Winters are damp and cold, with highs in the mid-40s and rain on about 20 days a month from November through January. The hike takes about 1.5 hours. Several other trails lie within a mile, including the Quarry Trail and the University Fire Power Trail. Paddlers can find the Devils Lake Fork about 1.3 miles away.