East Hebo Mountain Summit

Dogs Leashed

Features Fishing · Lake · Swimming · Views · Wildflowers

This route starts you out at a great recreation spot, South Lake which offers swimming, fishing, and camping. You get a nice climb in with a fun short scramble to the summit at the end. Then you're rewarded with great views that sometimes reach to the Pacific Ocean.

Despite what automated maps routes may say, it's most straightforward to drive to South Lake via Forest Road 14 from Hebo.

You'll park at the South Lake Dispersed Area. You pick up the trailhead for the Pioneer Indian Trail #1300 down the little campsite loop road. You climb into the forest as the trail begins and soon cross the forest road you came in on, continuing on through the coastal forest. You then approach the small North Lake that you'll glimpse through the trees off to the left of the trail.

You follow the trail on ridge above the lake and on the north side of it, you approach a junction where you make a hard right to continue on the main trail. Going straight is a way to get down to the lake. Not long after that junction, the trail gets steeper as you climb the side of Mt Hebo.

When the trail levels out a little bit and turns West (right), you'll soon see a little scamble trail off to the right that goes up to the clearcut summit of Hebo Mountain. Head up it, and enjoy the view!

Huckleberries, sometimes wild strawberries on the summit as well as bugs.

This area has a lot of history. In addition to this being a trail used for travel by Native American tribes to travel between the coast and willamette valley, the top of Hebo Mountain was also home to an Air Force Radar Station in the cold war days.