Wildflowers of the Canyon Mt. Trail: Strawberry Mt. Wilderness

[Flower Hikes and Trips for Grant County, OR]

Wildflowers of the Canyon Mt. Trail #218

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

A view west from a rocky slope at milepost 2.2 along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218. The trail can be seen at several spots along the ridgeline in the background...................July 9, 2010.

The Canyon Mt. Trail offers excellent views of the John Day Valley. It also allows access to Canyon Mountain and the west end of the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The trail passes through denser coniferous forest at first, then passes into thin ponderosa pine forest with patches of dry meadows and seeps to Dog Creek passing areas with serpentine and periodite.

Trail Length (one way): 3.3 miles to Dog Creek, 5.5 miles to Dean Creek, 15.5 miles, one way.

Elevation: 5400-7600'

Rating: Moderate to Dog Creek, Difficult to Dean Creek

Season: June to November

Allowed Activities: Hiking and horse use. ATVs and mountain bikes prohibited.

Use: Light

Access: From John Day, take US Highway 395 south for approximately 2 miles. Turn right onto County road 52 (Marysville Road) in Canyon City. Travel approximately 2 miles, then take a right on County road 77 for approximately 1/4 mile, then take another right on Forest Service Road 7700333 and follow the road to the trailhead. The road is not maintained by the Forest Service but was a decent gravel road to the trailhead in 2010. Low slung cars (hybrids may need to be more careful) are okay to the trailhead. The road condition has improved significantly since the description in Sullivan's book. The main road to the trailhead should be obvious at each fork in the road, although one can use the mileage between road forks if one desires. The trailhead can be reached in about 20 minutes from John Day. It should be about an 80 minute drive from Logan Valley.

Trail: There are outcrops of ultramafic rock (dark green serpentite and red periodite) with its unique flora along the trail. Most of the trail is dry (except very early in the season), but there are a few small streams along it. Plants seen along the trail include colonial luina (Luina serpentina), heart-leaf streptanthus (Streptanthus cordatus), felwort (Swertia perennis), arrowleaf thelypody (Thelypodium eucosmum), Piper's buckwheat (Eriogonum flavum var. piperi), columbia monkshood (Aconitum columbianum), Tolmie's onion (Allium tolmiei), and western columbine (Aquilegia formosa) as well as paintbrush and unusual ferns.

The trail climbs steadily through ponderosa pine and douglas fir forest (with dry meadow openings). At 1.6 miles the trail crosses Little Pine Creek with a grotto of ferns and bright riparian plants. At 2.2 miles a dry slope is reached with associated wildflowers of onions and buckwheats. The views here are magnificent, looking northwest and northeast towards the upper John Day valley. At 3.3 miles one reaches Dog Creek which is a good turn around point for a moderate hike. Continue an additional 2.2 miles (about 500' additional gain) to Dean Creek for a longer day's hike. Backpackers can continue up to 37.1 miles to the Skyline Trailhead on Road 101, or explore other side trails to their trailheads.

Plant Lists for the Canyon Mountain Trail #218:

Partial Flora for the Canyon Mountain Trail #218: Updated June 5, 2011.

August 19, 2011: Canyon Mountain Trail #218 (Strawberry Mountain Wilderness)

August 1, 2011: Canyon Mountain Trail #218 (Strawberry Mountain Wilderness)

June 21, 2011: Canyon Mt. Trail #218 - A Native Plant Society of Oregon Field Trip

June 5, 2011: Canyon Mt., Malheur National Forest - The road is now open, although very rugged for low-slung vehicles. Some significant snow drifts remain on portions of the trail. These should be much less of a concern as snow melts by mid-June.

Baldy Mt. Fora: A fairly complete flora which might be substituted until the Canyon Mountain flora is updated.

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Additional views of the Canyon Mountain Trail in the western Strawberry Mountain Wilderness................July 9, 2010.

Paul Slichter