Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area (Blog Hike #860)

Trail: Nature Trail
Hike Location: Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area
Geographic Location: southeast of Pendleton, OR (45.54300, -118.46238)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2021
Overview: A semiloop through dense pine forest near the historic Oregon Trail.
Area Information: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=16
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=880100
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In eastern Oregon, take I-84 to exit 234.  Exit and follow signs less than 0.5 miles to Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area.  Enter the area, turn right at the first intersection, and park in the small parking area beside the Oregon Trail interpretive kiosk on the left.

The hike: For settlers traveling west on the Oregon Trail during the mid-1800's, the last major natural obstacle they faced before reaching their destination in western Oregon's Willamette Valley was the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon.  Created by tectonic plate movements many thousands of years ago, the Blue Mountains form a high set of ridges that run roughly southwest to northeast.  The mountains contain some of Oregon's oldest rocks, and they feature several peaks that exceed 9000 feet in elevation.

            Today overland migrators have been replaced by recreation seekers, and in the summer the Blue Mountains offer a nice respite from eastern Oregon's desert-like dry heat.  When I came here on a warm morning in mid-July, temperatures were in the low 90's down in Pendleton, but it was a comfortable 81 degrees up in the mountains for my hike.  The Oregon Trail's route through the Blue Mountains is followed closely by I-84 today, so present-day travelers have easy access to several sites that present and interpret Oregon Trail history.

            One of the Oregon Trail interpretive sites is the Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, which lies literally feet from I-84.  The site is named for a nearby spring that Oregon Trail travelers used to replenish their water supplies before continuing west onto the dry Columbia River Plateau.  Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area features some nice amenities including a 48-site developed campground, a horse camp with bridle trails, 6 rustic cabins, some picnic areas, and some Oregon Trail interpretive exhibits.  For hikers, the area has just one short nature trail, but the trail is a nice one that takes you through classic Oregon pine forest.  This hike makes the most of the Nature Trail while visiting every major point of interest in the area, thus giving a grand tour of all the area has to offer.

Oregon Trail interpretive kiosk

Covered wagon

            Start by browsing the Oregon Trail exhibits, which include an interpretive kiosk, a dedication marker dating to 1923 and President Warren Harding, and a re-created covered wagon.  Walk left to head into the main campground, and at each campground loop choose the left arm.  The Nature Trail starts at a small parking area on the left just after beginning the campground's C-loop.

Start of Nature Trail

            The Nature Trail starts as a narrow single-track dirt path, but 0.5 miles from the Oregon Trail exhibits you intersect a much broader trail, which goes left and right.  The route going left leads back to the park entrance, so you want to turn right to begin a gradual climb through young scrubby forest.  Some horseshoe prints in the dirt indicate that this trail is also open to horses, but I did not see signs of heavy horse use on my visit.

Highest point on this hike

            At 0.75 miles, you reach the highest point in Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area and a trail intersection.  The option going left leads to a power line corridor and out of the Heritage Area, so you want to turn right and begin descending.  In only a couple hundred more feet, note the trail that exits right; it will eventually be our return route back to the campground.  

Descending through pine forest

            For now, continue straight to descend through classic Oregon pine forest.  The pine trees here are large and tall, and some asters in bloom brightened my path.  1 mile into the hike, the trail passes through a sunny grassy area on the right.  Stay to the left, and in a few hundred more feet reach a metal vehicle gate at the horse camp that marks the end of this trail.

Vehicle gate at horse camp

            From the horse camp, you have a couple of options.  The shortest option is to turn right and walk the park road back to your car.  If you want to stay in the woods longer and see more of the park's trail system, turn around, walk back up almost to the top of the hill, and then turn left to begin the other route back down to the campground.  This trail passes what appears to be some water works infrastructure before descending first to the campground amphitheater and then to the campground shower house.  Upon arriving back at campground Loop A, turn left to hike back out to the Oregon Trail exhibits and complete the hike.