Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 44.56600°N / 123.335°W
Additional Information County: Benton
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 755 ft / 230 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Looking north
Looking north

Bald Hill located just west of the city of Corvallis Oregon is a home to great walking and light hiking park called the Bald Hill Nature Preserve. Because of the peak being located so close to the city of Corvallis it gets just as much attention as the 5 times larger nearby peak Marys Peak. Expect to see many people there including college kids from nearby Oregon State, and many other of the locals from the town. The park itself is home to pedestrian, equestrian, and bike travels. Both equestrian and bike travels is limited to late spring, summer, and early fall due to terrible mud erosion that happens here during winter. 

BearQueen in heaven
BearQueen in heaven


There is a lot of value in including this summit when you are either just visiting Corvallis or if you are have done nearby Marys Peak and are looking for an extra peak to tag. This summit feature two dominant views. One of the views is on the actual summit and looks to the east towards the city of Eugene and the Cascades. The other views is a little over the summit and it looks towards west at Marys Peak and many peaks in Coast Range. 

BearQueen on summit number 95
BearQueen on summit number 95

Getting There

THE NORTH TRAILHEAD: This trailhead is located on Oak Creek Drive roughly 1.5 miles to the east of 53rd Street which is due west from the Oregon Sate University Campus. If you leaving from the main city of Corvallis you can either take Harrison Street west which will then turn into Oak Creek Drive (roughly 5 miles) to the trailhead on your left. You can also take Route 20 west to Philomath. Make a right on 53rd street and then in 2.5 miles make a left onto Reservoir Road. The trailhead will be 1.5 miles down the road and to your left.    

THE SOUTH TRAILHEAD: This trailhead is located on Reservoir Road which is also roughly 1.5 miles to the west of 53rd Street and due west from the Oregon State University Campus. Take Route 20 west to Philomath. Make a right on 53rd street and then in a mile make a left onto Reservoir Road. The trailhead will be 1.5 miles down the road and to your right. 

Route

Map of Bald Hill
Map of Bald Hill

There are multiple routes from both the south and north trailhead. All of the routes and trails are easy walkups and the distance from the trailhead to the summit is roughly anywhere from 3 to 5 miles and about 500 feet of elevation gain. 

Red Tape

The trailhead as of April 2017 is free and no pass is required. Park is open dawn to dusk and there is no overnight parking allowed. 

When to Climb

From the summit area
From the summit area

This mountain can be climbed year round however certain restriction should be noted. The main trails to the summit are limited to only hikers during the wet season to prevent erosion. It should also be noted that these trails are mudpits during the winter and spring. When I was there in late April it was literally a mud fest on sections of the trail. In summer these muddy areas dry out and the trail becomes very solid in hard. Also in summer Corvallis can get in rare times very hot. In recent years temperatures have gone over 90 degrees frequently and the trend is for this to continue to happen.  

Camping

This is a local city park so no camping is allowed. There are number of good hotels in the city of Corvallis if one is looking for accomadations.

External Links

This link is from the city of Corvallis

This is the link from Alltrails.