Читать книгу Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. A Comprehensive Hiking Guide онлайн

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DIRECTIONS Drive west from Portland on State Highway 6 toward Tillamook. Near milepost 25, look for the brown sign with a hiking figure on it, and the small trailhead parking lot for the Kings Mountain Trailhead on the right.

Like so many other paths in western Oregon, this trail begins in a lush forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and red alder whose branches are draped with mosses. The forest floor is covered with sword fern and a low carpet of oxalis and candyflower, both of which feature small white flowers in spring. Just 0.1 mile from the start is a junction with the eastbound Wilson River Trail, which forks off to the right (ssss1). Go left, then, 20 feet later, go right where the westbound Wilson River Trail departs.

From here, the Kings Mountain Trail makes an irregular but usually gentle climb through attractive woods. At first there are small creeks in the gullies on either side of the trail, but afterward the trail is entirely dry. About 1 mile from the trailhead the forest gets drier and the slopes steeper as you begin to tackle the worst of the climb. As with all paths in this area, you will notice blue paint markings on the trees along the route. These aren’t really necessary, as the trail is obvious throughout. The uphill climb is uneventful (and unrelenting) except near the 2000-foot level. There you’ll find two places where the path stays nearly level for a couple hundred yards as it follows sections of very old roads that seem to come from nowhere and end for no apparent reason.