Oregon State Archives: A 1940 Oregon Coast Tour

...at 4.8 m. [Southbound from Astoria] meets Miles Crossing Road.

At 13 m. is the junction with a dirt road; R. for 12 m. to SADDLE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK. An Indian legend told of an old giantess who found Thunderbird's eggs at the top of the mountain. When she broke the eggs and threw them down the mountainside, each became an Indian. On the mountain (3,266 alt.) are trails, shelters, and picnic grounds. Much hunting for deer (and occasionally for elk) and fishing for trout is done in this area.

Wikipedia: Saddle Mountain

Saddle Mountain is the tallest mountain in Clatsop County in the U.S. state of Oregon.^[2] Part of the Oregon Coast Range, Saddle Mountain is in Saddle Mountain State Natural Area in the northwest corner of Oregon. The peak is listed on Oregon's Register of Natural Heritage Resources.^[4]

Saddle Mountain was created around 15 million years ago in the Miocene epoch when lava flows poured down the old Columbia River valley. When the lava encountered the water at the Astoria Sea, great steam explosions and thermal shocks occurred to create a large pile of basalt rocks. The mountain consists of this volcanic breccia, which is a rock made up of broken basalt fragments that are fused together in a fine-grained matrix.^[5]

In modern time, the mountain has been viewed and described by a variety of European and American explorers. Beginning in 1788, these explorers included British captain John Meares, Lewis and Clark in 1805, and the Wilkes Expedition in 1841.^[5] Meares named the peak Mont de la Selle in 1788.^[5]

Chester H. Armstrong, History of the Oregon State Parks: 1917-1963

Saddle Mountain State Park is located at the end of Saddle Mountain Road in central Clatsop County, approximately seven miles north from a point on Sunset Highway 26 near Necanicum Junction. The park contains the high peak known as Saddle Mountain.

The first land acquired for this park was a gift of 1,280 acres from O. W. and Nellie Taylor on November 21, 1928. Another gift of 1,401.96 acres was received from the State Land Board on December 5, 1935. Five purchases were made, amounting to 372.05 acres, increasing the park land to a total of 3,054.01 acres at the close of 1963.

The land received from the State Land Board was a gift to the state from the U. S. Government. It had been set aside by the government on August 11, 1916, to be preserved as a park area. The State Land Board believed that the Highway Commission, through its Parks Division, was in a much better position to care for the area.

The state leased 15 acres of land near the junction of Saddle Mountain Road and Sunset Highway for use as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in June, 1935, at a cost of $250 per year for a two year period. The CCC's did considerable work in the park during their stay, including the 7.25-mile entrance road and a trail to the top of Saddle Mountain.

Several applications to haul logs over the park entrance road have been rejected as the road is not suitable for that purpose.

The principal attraction of this park, one from which the area derived its name, is Saddle Mountain, an unusually descriptive name for the 3,283-foot double peak. Splendid views can be had in all directions from the mountain top. Several snow-capped mountains in Washington and Oregon are plainly visible on clear days, as well as miles of shore line along the Pacific and the broad mouth of the Columbia River with its boat traffic moving in and out to sea. Approximately 100 feet below the highest peak of Saddle Mountain is a spring from which a forest lookout station atop the mountain gets its water. The spring flows very steadily all year, while other springs and creeks down the gulches of the mountain dry up soon after the end of the rainy season.

After a visit to the park and a climb to the top of Saddle Mountain Peak on June 19, 1947, (the leisurely trail climbing time was two hours and fifteen minutes), W. A. Langille wrote the following about the flora on the mountain: "The broken slopes of Saddle Mountain are reputed to be a favorite hunting ground for botanists. It is alleged that some 2,000 specimens of flora have been classified. Many growing there are not found elsewhere in this region. Most notable among these is the highly prized, exceedingly rare Crucifer, Cardamine pattersonii, which scientists declare grows nowhere else but on this mountain, where it was first found by the indefatigable Professor Henderson."

Logging activities in the vicinity of the park and to the very base of the mountain, during the years 1920 to 1930, greatly reduced the splendid forests of spruce, hemlock, fir and cedar which once covered the land. State laws required the burning of debris. Reproduction was making a good showing when several fires in the area, one in particular which occurred on Thanksgiving Day 1936 and another in 1939, caused considerable damage to the young trees and the few remaining stands of older trees. Reforestation has since been very good.

As many as 70 elk in one herd have been counted as recently as 1950 as they roamed the mountain slopes. Even the Albino elk, now a rarity, have been seen in the herd. This number, however, may have been reduced through natural causes or hunting.

Improvements at the park include the entrance road, car parking area, trail to the top of the mountain, sanitary facilities and a small picnic area with tables, benches and stoves, all constructed by the CCC. The state forces constructed a Quonset hut in 1948, a water storage reservoir and a small overnight camp with six tent sites, and developed a water source.

Attendance during 1963 totaled 26,492 day visitors and 463 overnight stays.

Oregon State Parks: Saddle Mountain State Natural Area

Saddle Mountain State Natural Area is cherished for its hiking trails, wildflowers and breathtaking scenery. A small, seasonal campground, day-use picnic area, a two and a half mile trail to the summit and a short .16 mile side trail are the humble offerings at Saddle Mountain. While it may not seem like much, be prepared to marvel at the sheer volume and quality of natural beauty packed into this park. From a mature forest setting with a variety of habitats; to fields of grassy open “balds” filled with wildflowers; to an open rocky summit; words cannot describe the beauty and wonder experienced on the trail. If the trail’s natural beauty and wildflowers aren’t enough to entice you to the top, the panoramic view from the 3,290-foot summit will. On a clear day you can see the sweep of the Columbia River as it enters the sea, miles of Pacific shoreline- and on the eastern horizon, the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington.

The main trail is steep and difficult in spots, with a 1,640 foot rise in elevation over 2.5 miles. It begins at an elevation of approximately 1,650 feet at the park's parking lot and climbs to a viewing platform with an elevation of approximately 3,290 feet. It is recommended for experienced hikers wearing proper footwear and clothing. Weather conditions can change rapidly, bringing wind and rain year round and snow in winter. Portions of the trail can be slick in wet conditions. The challenge this popular trail provides is well worth the reward. If you aren’t up for the rigorous climb of the main hike, try the short, 10 minute Humbug Mountain viewpoint trail that shoots off from the main trail a quarter mile from the trailhead. For the safety of your dog and courtesy to others, please keep your dog on a leash.

Initially, lands for the park were acquired in 1928 by gift from O. W. and Nellie Taylor. In 1935, the State Land Board gave an additional 1,401.96 acres to the park. In 1938, four tracts were purchased from private owners. Some lands were exchanged with the Crown Zellerbach Corporation between 1977 and 1980. In 1985, 40 acres were purchased from the Oregon Board of Forestry and transferred to the Parks and Recreation Division by the Highway Division. After the Highway Commission obtained the access road right-of-way in the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the 7.25-mile road from the Sunset Highway (U. S. 26) to the base of the Saddle Mountain. They also built the trail to the top of the mountain and did other betterment work. In the early 1950s, primitive camping facilities were added. Saddle Mountain was named by Lt. Charles Wilkes, U. S. Navy, in 1841 because of the saddle between the peaks. According to tradition, the Indians called it "Swallalahoost" for a legendary chief who, upon being killed by his enemies, assumed the form of an eagle and created thunder and lightning on the peak. Lewis and Clark referred to the peak as an area for elk hunting in 1805 but did not name it. The park area lies generally at the boundary of territories claimed by Clatsop and Clatskanie tribal groups.

Acreage: 3,226.14

Annual overnight attendance: 2,363

Annual day-use attendance: 99,110

Links

Columbia River Images: Saddle Mountain, Oregon

Includes ... Saddle Mountain ... Saddle Mountain State Natural Area ... Saddle Mountain State Park ... "Swalalahos" ... "Saddle Hill" ... "Mont de la Selle" ...

http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/saddle_mountain.html

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