Emigrant Lake Loop – Part 1

The Emigrant Lake Loop Trail – Part 1 is a 6 mile trail along the south side of Emigrant Lake. Part of a 12 mile loop around the lake.

Driving 

– From Ashland Plaza head south on Siskiyou towards the University. Turn left on Ashland Street and take that across Interstate 5 where is curves to the right, passes Dead Indian Memorial Road, and the golf course. The Emigrant Lake Recreation area sign appears formally to your left. Turn left onto Emigrant Lake Road but… don’t go into the park. Turn right into the dirt lot below the dam.

Parking

– There are 20 spots in the dirt lot below the dam. Maybe kayakers use some? I dunno. But this lot is free and…the perfect place to start our hike.

The Trail

– This is a 6 mile mash-up trail. The first mile starts along the dam towards the cemetery. We will go around the 19th century zombie ghosts for the time being and hike along the lake around the cemetery point and along the gravel road back to the main Green Springs Road. Now… baddest news ever… 1 mile along the road. Not optimal, but… it’s Southern Oregon so still not terrible.

The next parking area to the left we walk into is the Cove Parking area. Where the frisbee golf course is and the Cove area. At the back of the parking area head right, uphill, into the frisbee golf course and hike along the ridge. The trail then drops down into a grassy area and generally follows the shore of the lake.

You now hike for a mile or so on a great trail through field and bramble to the next parking area… Old GreenSprings Road maybe? From there, you head along the lake towards Songer  Butte. Around a mile to Little Songer Butte on a well worn trail. From the Butte, it’s over a mile on a much smaller (yet legitimate) trail through less traveled farmland over to the Songer Wayside parking. The land part of the hike is very quiet, but, the boats on Emigrant Lake driving by blaring Lady GaGa on their jerkwad stereos can ruin the serenity.

Now, hitchhike back to your car because this was a little more than we all bargained for, amiright?