August 1, 2025.
9.7 mi. | 2320′ ele. gain | 5:10 hr.
Bald Mt Trail > Little Bald Mt/ Bald Mt > Hells Half Acre Tr > Willow Creek Tr
This is one of those hikes that simply came together because of where we ended up camping. While driving from Portland to the Wallowas, I decided to take a route I hadn’t been on before. I found a free Forest Service campsite at Coalmine Hill, where we spent the night. The next day, I knew I needed a hike, so of course I looked for the nearest highpoint. Seeing a two-for-one opportunity plus a loop, I knew I had my day figured out.
The Bald Mountain trail leads straight up from the campground through a typical dry-side forest. I found myself walking amidst familiar lupine, paintbrush and currant bushes that could have placed me in the areas outside of Bend. But here I was, nearly 200 miles away and things looked just the same. As I climbed up and out of the forest, I was transported to a more harsh, high desert landscape. Here were the dried up skeletons of wild buckwheat and biscuitroot tucked between fragrant sagebrush plants. Whoa, now I really felt back at home!
The trail withered away near the summit of Little Bald Mountain, where I sat to take a break and look at the map. I got distracted by the plethora of buckwheat there and got a little disoriented. Where did that trail go? Undeterred, I bushwhacked through the suddenly lush forest until I intercepted the Hells Half Acre Trail. Here I was surprised to see a massive number of huckleberry bushes that were loaded with fruit. I dropped a pin on my map, sure to return later. But first I scrambled up the hillside back to the desert, the “bald” part of Bald Mountain. I let the interesting rocks and plants guide me on a sinuous route to the summit. At the top, I found a mailbox welded shut by rust and time. A rock wren joined me for a snack break.
The sky was filled with clouds and it felt like rain. I didn’t linger too long on top, determined to make a loop out of this hike. I retreated to the huckleberry patch and, lacking a container in which to store my finds, filled up my fanny pack. From there, I walked carefully to avoid falling and making jam out of the whole lot.
For the remainder of the hike, I was thrust into a dark, lush forest absolutely teeming with life. And it wasn’t just plants that captured my attention. I found interesting spiders on a few species of orchids and lots of pollinators on other flowers. It was a reminder that I still have so much to learn about the flora and fauna around me. The miles passed by slowly as I paused to investigate every flash of color, every wing beat, every sound. This last minute plan turned out to be one of my favorite hikes in a while.
To check out all 57 species I recorded on this hike (I still need some ID confirmations!) see my list on iNaturalist.
This is not a well-known route, though I was able to find a 2023 trip report that confirmed these trails actually exist. That is always a big question mark in my mind when I visit a not-so-popular spot in the middle of nowhere. I feel compelled to write about these trails to similarly help out a fellow hiker who performs a search for a particular trail. If that is you, I hope this information is useful. I find that the official USFS website is often not updated or accurate and I wonder why they even bother putting anything online.
Other resources I use to help plan a hike on obscure trails include:
- Google Maps: Click on the satellite view to look at overhead images of the trail. In dense forest this is obviously not useful but in more open landscapes you can often see if the trail tread is visible. It’s also helpful to scout parking areas, look for bathrooms, etc.
- Peakbagger.com: If there’s a mountain involved, someone’s climbed it and logged a report on this website. While I’m not a member and I don’t contribute to this particular site, I find it’s a wealth of information. People often contribute brief, informative written reports, GPX files and other useful tidbits.
- iNaturalist: This might not be intuitive, but hear me out. You can zoom in on the map and look for pins on the trail you’re intending to hike. Then if you check out the observations, you can see user-submitted photos and the dates they were taken. Filter for recent observations and scroll through. If there’s not much, well you’ll have to find another resource. But recent observations can at least let you know the area is passable. They might even show what you can expect to find in that area during your visit.
Do you have any favorite strategies for planning hikes? Please share!