Tunnel 13

Tunnel 13 is a historic (AND ACTIVE!!) train tunnel. The site of the last train robbery in Oregon.

Driving 

– From Ashland Plaza head south on Siskiyou towards the University. Turn left on Ashland Street. Hit Interstate 5 and head south towards California. The next exit is Exit 6 towards Mount Ashland. Take it and you are there – 12 minutes.

Parking

– At the bottom of the offramp pull off into the dirt on the right. Yeah, it feels wrong, but it’s right.

The Adventure

– It’s 100 yards uphill – past the “No Trespassing” signs – to get to the train tracks and the tunnel. This is private, corporate, train company property so don’t even thing about coming up here! You’d have to negotiate a lot of corporately maintained garbage, tar and coal feces along the trail anyway. They’ve destroyed most of the outbuildings that, until recently, maintained a historic little tableau. But the area still has one “old west train robbery” outbuilding… that you will not see… because… trespassing. And, you definitely don’t want to cross the tracks and follow the trail up to the water tank – or – hike the trail above the tunnel where it meets the PCT and hits Mount Ashland Road near Colestin Road.

Trains are running so even when you aren’t here… keep a lookout for trains.

Don’t do this on your way up to, or way back from, Mount Ashland someday!