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Illinois River Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

This page is marked as a Closed Hike. Some or all of this hike has been closed by a governing body and hikers may be liable for fines or even arrest. At least part of this route may be dangerous and hard to follow, or it may cross areas with sensitive plant life or wildlife habitat. Trailkeepers of Oregon does not endorse or recommend hiking this route. When restrictions are lifted, this notice will be removed.
Typical view looking down at the river from the trail (Jerry Adams)
The trail sometimes goes across sparse, not particularly steep slopes. The Rogue River trail, by comparison, has lots of steep cliffs. (Jerry Adams)
In other places, the trail goes through dry forested areas. (Jerry Adams)
Rundown cabin at Fantz Ranch (Jerry Adams)
The bridge across Indigo Creek (Jerry Adams)
Illinois River Trail: Eastern (Briggs Creek) Trailhead to Clear Creek
Illinois River Trail: Clear Creek to Upper #1219A junction
Illinois River Trail: Upper #1219A junction to Old #1174 junction
Illinois River Trail: Old #1174 junction to Black Rock Creek
Illinois River Trail: Black Rock Creek to Western (Oak Flat) Trailhead
  • Start point: Illinois River East TrailheadRoad.JPG
  • End point: Illinois River West Trailhead
  • Hike type: Traverse (shuttle) or in and out
  • Distance: 29.8 miles
  • Elevation gain: 4620 feet
  • High point: 3,975 feet
  • Difficulty: Difficult
  • Seasons: Year round, but very hot in summer; there may be snow on Bald Mountain in winter
  • Family Friendly: Yes, east and west ends, but not the through hike
  • Backpackable: Yes
  • Crowded: No, but east and west ends can be busy in summer
Poison-Oak
Rattlesnakes
Ticks

Contents

Hike Options

NOTICE: This trail is closed until further notice because of damage from the 2023 Flat Fire. Please check the list of Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest closures before you plan for a hike.

Depending on your enthusiasm level, you can do at least three different hikes involving the Illinois River Trail at the very northern end of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness: (1) an out-and-back day hike or backpack from the western trailhead; (2) an out-and-back or loop day hike or backpack from the eastern trailhead; or (3) a through backpack of the whole trail (about 30 miles), either west to east or east to west (a little easier direction). A 95-mile car shuttle is needed for the latter option.

Note that the 2002 Biscuit Fire, Oregon's biggest forest fire so far in the 21st century, began in this area. You will be passing through a zone where the fire burned intensely, so expect standing and fallen snags, little shade, and dense underbrush. The entire length of the Illinois River Trail has been worked on since the fire, but many of the connecting trails have not been restored. In the less hiked middle section of the route, the tread can be quite faint where it crosses open areas. In the winter and spring, ticks are common. Learn also to recognize poison oak, which may overhang the trail in places. While bears are present, they haven't proved as much of a nuisance here as on the Rogue River Trail.

From the western trailhead:

A popular option here is an out-and-back dayhike or backpack to Indigo Creek, with a visit to Buzzards Roost along the way. Starting from the trailhead at the end of the paved road at 240 feet elevation, it's a little confusing where to go. Don't go down to the river on the potholed dirt road: there's no easy way to get back up to the main trail. Don't go up on the more obvious trail, which immediately goes to a gravel road, although you can follow the gravel road and soon connect up to the main trail. You want to go east, on a trail that stays at the same elevation on a bench above the river. After about a mile, the trail goes up a little and crosses a creek. There are a couple alternate routes that connect up here. The trail gains some elevation the first three miles up to about 1200 feet to the scenic vista at Buzzards Roost. Then the trail descends to 350 feet elevation and 4.6 miles at Indigo Creek. Just before the creek is an unmarked junction. You can go straight (left), on the more obvious trail, down to the meadow area of Indian Flat next to the creek. There are several campsites, and drinking water is available from the creek. It's 8.8 miles out and back and 1,700 feet elevation gain to Indian Flat.

For a longer dayhike or some exploration if you camp at Indian Flat, you can continue on to Fantz Ranch. At the unmarked junction, you want to go right on the less obvious trail, which is the Illinois River Trail. Go a short distance down to a significant bridge across Indigo Creek. This creek would be fairly difficult to cross without the bridge. The trail goes back up to another high point, at 850 feet, and an unsigned trail junction. Here the Silver Peak–Hobson Horn Trail #1166 goes up to the left, while the Illinois River Trail goes down the other side of the ridge to an unsigned junction with a short side trail to Fantz Ranch. It's an additional 2.4 miles round trip, with 800 feet of gain, to the ranch.

From the eastern trailhead:

The most popular option here is an out-and-back dayhike or backpack to Pine Flat (10.6 miles round trip, 1,650 feet elevation gain). The Illinois River Trail to this point is in great condition, and there are good campsites at Pine Flat. Water is available from Pine Creek. There are good views of the river along the way and, if you time it right, you might see patches of the kalmiopsis flower along the trail south of York Butte.

You can also do an out-and-back along the Illinois River Trail to the summit of Bald Mountain (20 miles round trip, 3,000 feet elevation gain). There are campsites and a small spring near the trail below the summit. Note that the #1161 trail past the Pine Flat junction is only lightly used and has received less maintenance. It's not hard to follow but may have more loose gravel and blowdown for you to contend with.

A loop (20.6 miles round trip, 4,125 feet elevation gain) to Bald Mountain by going out to Pine Flat and then up to Bald Mountain's east ridge on the Florence Way Trail (#1219A) is possible again. (The Siskiyou Mountain Club restored the Florence Way Trail in 2020.) You'll return to the trailhead on the Illinois River Trail. Watch out for poison oak, ticks, and rattlesnakes.

A through hike from east to west

This trail is not nearly as popular as the Rogue River Trail but has a lot of the same characteristics, so it makes a good choice during busier periods. If you've already done the Rogue and want to do something similar but different, this one fits the bill. Unlike the Rogue River Trail, the Illinois River Trail rarely comes close to the river itself - you have to rely on small tributaries and springs for water. You can do the whole trail from either direction, but the climb up and over Bald Mountain is more gradual from the east. If you want to go end to end, you may be able to get one of the Rogue River shuttle services to shuttle you back to your car or move your car to the other end:


Here is a mileage log assuming you start at Briggs Creek (the eastern trailhead) and hike west. It can be done as an overnight backpack, but a two-night backpack (eastern trailhead to Bald Mountain; Bald Mountain to Silver Creek or Conners Place; then out to the western trailhead) would match-up better with campsites and water sources and allow more time to savor the journey. Trail miles are shown in { }. Note that the massive 2002 Biscuit Fire greatly impacted this area, damaging trails, removing old "camps" (the Pine Creek, Bear Mountain, West Ridge, and Grapevine Camps still shown on USGS maps no longer exist), and altering the hydrology of some of the springs.

{0.0} Illinois River East Trailhead at Briggs Creek

{2.0} Hayden Creek

{2.4} York Creek

{4.1} Clear Creek; small campsite and signed junction with the Shorty Noble Way Trail (#1185).

{5.0} Signed junction with #1219A (but sign says #1216), the trail down to Pine Flat.

{6.7} Pine Creek

{7.8} Cross saddle just north of Point 2303

{8.3} Former junction with the now defunct #1144 trail; this junction is no longer visible and this trail is no longer listed by the USFS.

{9.0} Pass very close to Forest Road 091

{9.5} Unsigned junction with the Florence Tie Trail (#1219B); this junction is no longer visible and the trail is also not visible or passable.

{11.5} Signed junction with the upper end of the Florence Way Trail #1219A.

{11.8} Signed junction with the #1161A trail, which you can follow up to the old lookout site atop Bald Mountain (3,975 feet).

{12.2} A spring and level campsites near the trail; this is your last reliable water before Silver Creek.

{15.4} Unsigned junction with the Pupps Camp Way Trail (#1174); this junction is no longer visible and the trail (which is also not visible) is now extremely steep, hard to find in places, and blocked by numerous downed trees and heavy brush. There is a small one-tent campsite next to the trail here and water may be found at Polar Spring about 100 yds further north on the #1161.

{19.9} Unsigned junction with the Collier Bar Trail (#1182), which is no longer passable. However, you can follow the trail for about 50 yards from the junction to where it crosses a small creek, which is a readily accessible source of water.

{20.0} Silver Creek; good campsites but getting to water involves making your way carefully down to either Silver Creek or the Illinois River.

{20.7} Connors Place; excellent campsites but readily accessible water is only from small springs.

{21.5} Bluff Creek

{23.3} Forest Creek

{23.5} Junction with short, unsigned side trail to Fantz Ranch.

{24.1} Unsigned junction with the Silver Peak-Hobson Horn Trail (#1166)

{24.9} Indigo Creek; an old jeep road leads to campsites at Indian Flat

{26.8} Buzzards Roost

{27.8} Ethels Creek

{28.8} Nancy Creek

{29.8} Illinois River West Trailhead at Oak Flat


Fees, Facilities, etc.

  • Permits not required
  • Limited water sources: plan accordingly
  • Wilderness regulations apply
  • There may be fire restrictions; check for the latest news
  • Store food in a bear canister or be prepared to hang it

Maps

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this destination

These guidebooks offer shorter possibilities. There are no current guidebooks that describe the trail from end to end:

  • Hiking Southern Oregon by Art Bernstein & Victor Harris (from both trailheads)
  • Hiking Oregon's Southern Cascades and Siskiyous by Art Bernstein (from both trailheads)
  • 76 Day-Hikes Within 100 Miles of the Rogue Valley by Art Bernstein (from both trailheads)
  • 100 Hikes: Oregon Coast by William L. Sullivan (from western trailhead)
  • 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Southern Oregon & Northern California by William L. Sullivan (from eastern trailhead)
  • Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
  • Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill (from eastern trailhead)
  • Hiking Oregon by Donna Lynn Ikenberry (from eastern trailhead)
  • Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson & Zach Urness (from western trailhead)
  • 75 Hikes in Oregon's Coast Range and Siskiyous by Rhonda & George Ostertag (from both trailheads)
  • Hiking the Bigfoot Country by John Hart
  • Hiking Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
  • Oregon Coast Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill (from eastern trailhead)
  • A Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood
  • Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
  • Oregon's Best Wildflower Hikes: Southwest Region by Elizabeth L. Horn
  • From Sea to Summit: The R.A.D. Guide to Hiking in Curry County, Oregon by the R.A.D. Outdoor Club

More Links


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Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

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