At mile 2 you cross Hunter Creek, further in the ride you’ll pass through Hunter Creek Bog, the headwaters of Hunter Creek. What is a bog?

Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic and low in nutrients. A bog usually is found at a freshwater soft spongy ground that is made up of decayed plant matter which is known as peat. In contrast to fens, they derive most of their water from precipitation rather than ground or surface water.Water flowing out of bogs has a characteristic brown colour, which comes from dissolved peat tannins. In general, the low fertility and cool climate result in relatively slow plant growth, but decay is even slower due to low oxygen levels in saturated bog soils. Hence, peat accumulates. Large areas of the landscape can be covered many meters deep in peat.

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) are designated locations that require special management attention to protect important historic, cultural, and wildlife resources, as well as other natural systems or processes, from irreparable damage.

These ACEC designations also informs the public that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recognizes the significant value of these areas and has implemented specific management measures to safeguard them.

Here, at this bog you will find 8 different ecosystems and a variety of special plant and animal species. Below we have highlighted several.

Click on the image to the left to expand the map.

Its most distinctive feature is its serotinous cones, which remain closed and attached to the tree for many years. When fires kill the trees, cones as much as 30 years old are opened by the heat and shed their seeds. The abundant seedlings then begin a new forest.

The cones grow directly on the trunk and main branches, rather than at the ends of branches like other pine trees.

Knobcone pines start producing cones at a very young age, sometimes as early as 2-3 years old. Knobcone pines have a relatively short lifespan, typically 75-100 years.

The tree often grows in an irregular or asymmetrical shape, especially in windy areas.

One of its most distinctive features is the sweet, vanilla-like scent of its bark, especially when warm. This aroma is often described as reminiscent of butterscotch or pineapple.

Jeffrey pine cones are larger than those of many other pine species, typically 5-10 inches long. The cones have inward-curving prickles, leading to the saying “gentle Jeffrey” ,as opposed to the sharper prickles of the similar-looking Ponderosa pine. It was once considered a variety of Ponderosa pine but is now recognized as a distinct species.

Jeffrey pines have thick bark that helps protect them from low-intensity fires, an important adaptation in their natural range.

Unlike many oak species, Coast Live Oak retains its leaves year-round. The leaves are oval with spiny edges, which is unusual for oaks.

It’s well-adapted to the coastal climate, tolerating salt spray and fog. It also has a deep root systems that helps them survive dry periods.

These trees can live for several hundred years.

This rare and unique butterfly species is dependant on old-growth forests. Its larvae feed exclusively on dwarf mistletoe, a parasitic plant attaching itself to old growth Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pines. The butterfly’s life cycle is synchronized with its food source. Adults typically emerge once a year, flying from late spring to early summer. This timing coincides with the growth of new mistletoe shoots, ensuring an ample food supply for the next generation of larvae.

Unlike many butterflies that are commonly seen near the ground, Johnson’s Hairstreak spends most of its time high in the forest canopy, making it difficult to observe and study.

This species is only in specific regions of the Pacific Northwest. Mardon skippers inhabit meadows. Larvae feed on native fescue (grass). Its presence can indicate the health of native grassland ecosystems.

Loss of grassland habitat due to climate change and degradation of remaining grasslands by invasive plants are harmful to mardon skippers. Populations appear to be declining.

Adults typically fly for only a short period each year, usually in late spring to early summer.

The Gasquet manzanita is a unique and rare species of manzanita. It’s found only in a small area of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon.

Unlike many manzanita species, the Gasquet manzanita has bristly, hairy stems and leaves, giving it a distinctive texture.

It typically grows in serpentine soils, which are challenging for many plants due to their unique mineral composition. This demonstrates a unique ecological adaptation.

The Elegant gentian grows exclusively in serpentine wetlands of southwestern Oregon and northern California. The total number of individual plants is low with about 66 known occurrences. Can be found in the same areas as Cobra Lily’s (see below).

The plant’s flowers are notable for their deep blue color and tubular shape. These characteristics are particularly attractive to bumblebees, which serve as important pollinators for the species.

Look for Signal Buttes to your left.

Near here is the largest known population of Stansell’s Daisy. This daisy species is endemic, meaning it naturally occurs only in this area. Specifically, it is found in just two small locations within the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

The daisy was first identified by Veva Stansell in 1982, a life-long Curry County resident and retired U.S. Forest Service botanist. She is widely-known and respected for her contributions to understanding and conserving botanical resources of the Siskiyou Mountains.

On July 13, 2002, a series of electrical storms passed over southwestern Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains. That afternoon’s barrage of lightning strikes ignited five separate fires within the vast Kalmiopsis Wilderness. By early August the fires had grown together into a single, massive, and expanding conflagration that burned well into October. The U.S. Forest Service dubbed it the Biscuit Fire. With a burned area totaling just forty acres shy of a half-million acres, the Biscuit Fire is believed to be Oregon’s largest forest fire of record.

Parts of the area re-burned with the 2023 Flat Fire. Ignited at about 5:51 PM PT on July 15, 2023, the fire was human caused. As of October 31, 2023, the fire had burned 34,242 acres and was 100% contained.

Wildhorse Lookout has a rich history dating back to 1929 when a fireman’s cabin was first constructed on the site.

In 1942, during World War II, an Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) cabin was added. The AWS was part of the Oregon coastal defense strategy. Civilian volunteers acted as airplane spotters, manning over 500 observation posts across western Oregon. The service, supervised by the Army’s Fourth Fighter Command, aimed to track all aircraft in the area to provide early warning of potential enemy attacks. At its peak, over 28,000 trained volunteers participated, working 4 to 6 hour shifts to maintain 24-hour vigilance. The system included “filter” centers where reports from observation posts were collected and processed. Learn more of this fascinating history here. (Picture from 1947.)

The Kalmiopsis Wilderness is renowned for its exceptional plant diversity, hosting over 350 species of plants and trees. The area’s namesake plant, Kalmiopsis leachiana, is an endemic shrub discovered in 1930 by botanist Lilla Leech in the Gold Basin region. This plant is particularly significant because:
(1) It’s a living relic from before the ice age. (2) It’s considered the oldest known member of the Heath family (Ericaceae).

Click on the map for more detail.

The mighty Rogue River flows 215 miles from its headwaters in Crater Lake National Park to the Pacific Ocean in Gold Beach, Oregon. It has two Congressionally-designated National Wild and Scenic sections. The 84-mile long Wild & Scenic Lower Rogue River was one of the original rivers designated under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, and carries that title from the mouth of the Applegate River to the Lobster Creek Bridge (~ Ride mile 42). The Wild Section of the Lower Rogue River is one of the most popular whitewater runs in the world.

More information at Wikipedia.

The one-mile loop trail winds through a forest of Douglas firs and Port Orford cedars. The tallest trees top out at 250 feet tall, at 600 to 1000 years old.

It’s home to the Laddie Gale Tall Fir. Now standing at roughly 220 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter, the tree is named in honor of Lauren “Laddie” Gale, a member of the 1939 University of Oregon’s men’s basketball team that won the very first NCAA tournament. With a height advantage against the other teams, the Webfoots (not yet the Ducks), were nicknamed the “Tall Firs.”

Grab a pamphlet at the trailhead and follow the numbered posts along the trail.

[Ref: Oregonian]

The Cobra Lily is a carnivorous plant native to northern California and southern Oregon. It traps and digests insects for nutrients using its distinctive hollow leaves that resemble a cobra’s head. The plant employs clever tactics to catch prey, including a forked leaf that appears to be an exit but leads nowhere, and translucent patches that confuse trapped insects. Inside the pitcher-like structure, downward-pointing hairs make it difficult for prey to escape. Unlike most carnivorous plants, the Cobra lily lacks digestive enzymes and instead relies on bacteria to break down its catch. Despite its predatory nature, it doesn’t eat its pollinators, which are primarily small flies.

Here the water percolates and bubbles out of the ground. Unlike creeks fed by snowmelt or rainwater, spring water comes entirely from beneath the earth’s surface. This underground origin results in very pure, clean water due to natural filtration through soil and rock. The water emerges cold from its deep source and typically maintains this cool temperature throughout its course. Unlike rivers or creeks that rely on gravity to flow downhill, spring water is pushed up and outward by underground pressure. This allows springs to flow across flat terrain where typical surface-fed streams might not persist. Springs can also maintain consistent water levels even in dry conditions, as they’re less dependent on surface precipitation. [Wikipedia]