Stein Butte Trail

The Stein Butte Trail is a 9 mile out and back with spectacular views of the Applegate Valley and Applegate Lake.

Driving

– Stein Butte Trail is 1 hour from Ashland. Head north on the Interstate 5 towards Medford and exit at the Phoenix exit. Turn left and then right onto route 66 again and quickly you will see South Stage Road. Turn left there and head towards Jacksonville. Route 66 jogs right and left at Griffin Creek Road, and becomes ‘California Street’ as it passes through Jacksonville, but you know what makes sense… it becomes Route 238 after Jacksonville. (sarcasm alert. Doesn’t make sense!)

Wait 10 minutes and at Upper Applegate Road, in the town of Ruch, turn left. There is a big yellow churchy-schooly-realestatey building there that will probably become a Scientology Center one day. Now you drive along the Applegate river and the valley is beautiful. Pay attention to the signs and turn-off. You are headed for the reservoir. When you get to the reservoir, drive along the right side of it to the end. Then, turn left. You are still going around the reservoir and when you cross the little bridge where the Upper Applegate River enters the reservoir, turn left and then park right there to the left.

Parking
– A classic dirt trail head parking lot. Plenty of room.

The Adventure
– Cross the road from the parking area and look downhill. There isn’t really obvious trail head signage right where you park, but immediately downhill there is significant signage. Now, get ready for a steady 4.5 mile uphill hike. The trail is in great shape, and the views become fabulous. Crazy side note… this is a popular dirt bike trail. Not mountain bike – dirt bike. Like a motorcycle, but on a trail. Just keep that in your brain so when dirt bikes come along, it doesn’t freak you out too much.

So just hike along and just before the peak – I’m sorry, the “butte” – you leave the trail at a marked trail sign and 100 yards later you are there. (the trail continues for miles to some other destination but… whatever. That’s for weirdos.) The “butte” has an odd rock structure built by old trail people and – check for rattle snakes right there.

Okay, end of trail, turn around and be amazed that the views on the way down are so much better than on the way up.