Gate to Opal Pool (via Opal Creek Trail)
An easy 7 miles round trip, 200 foot elevation gain

Gate to Cedar Flats
Round Trip a moderate 10.5 miles, 500 foot elevation gain

These trails follow a primitive dirt road through an old-growth forest in the Opal Creek Wilderness. Crossing Gold Creek on a 60 foot tall bridge, you continue up the Little North Santiam River valley passing 700 year-old trees, abandoned mines and the Bertha E. Hewitt Memorial Grove, where the forest canopy towers far overhead.

After 2 miles you reach the historic Merten Mill, built in 1943, a steam-powered sawmill that logged five of the surrounding acres. The operation ended after two of the company's logging trucks fell off a steep area of the road, proving the logging risky and unprofitable. No other commercial logging occurred within the Scenic Recreation Area. A short side trail behind the mill leads to Cascada de los Ninos (Waterfall of the Children) a 30-foot falls that marks the end of the native winter steelhead run.

The road forks 0.2 miles ahead giving you two options. You can continue on the road another 1.1 miles to the historic mining town of Jawbone Flats, a collection of buildings built between 1929 and 1932. A short distance from camp is Opal Pool, a scenic gorge and an easy day-hiking goal. To get there, continue through camp across Battle Axe Creek Bridge making a right turn past a building humming with a water-powered generator. Continue down the road to a sign indicating a short trail to Opal Pool.

Those wanting to continue up to Opal Creek, make a right turn across a log bridge, and turn left following the Opal Creek Trail. This trail winds its way for a mile before reaching an overlook for Opal Pool. The trail then ascends Opal Creek for another 3 miles passing many waterfalls before reaching Cedar Flats, a trio of 1000 year old Western Red Cedars.

For about the same mileage with a 2700-foot elevation you can go through Jawbone Flats up trail 3339 to trail 3369. After hurdling many downed trees and climbing 2000 feet in a short 1.8 miles, follow trail 546 east to trail 544. The beginning of trail 544 is located at Elk Lake, for an 11.6-mile trip with a 900-foot elevation gain.

Elk Lake to Mt. Beachie
A moderate 5.8 miles round trip, 1200 feet elevation gain

Battle Ax and Mt. Beachie are heavily eroded volcanoes whose size may have once rivaled the much younger and taller High Cascades to the east. Worn down by glaciers, only their volcanic vents remain. Though the mountains lost much of their mass due to glaciation, Elk Lake and the Battle Ax Creek valley formed as a result. From the top of Battle Ax and Mt. Beachie there are stunning views of the Opal Creek and Bull of the Woods Wilderness areas. The High Cascades stretching from Mt. Adams to Diamond Peak are also visible from these summits. Battle Ax and Mt. Beachie offer little protection from the elements, so remember sunscreen and avoid electrical storms. After parking at the junction for the Elk Lake campground hike 1.1 miles to the saddle between Battle Ax and Mt. Beachie. To your right (north) Battle Ax rises 1200 feet in a short 1.6 miles. Mt. Beachie, though smaller, is a challenging 1.7 miles and 900 feet above you to your left (south). If you were to continue straight downhill, Jawbone Flats is 6.7 miles away.

The Battle Ax trail switchbacks up amidst weather-stunted trees and sub-alpine wild flowers before reaching the 5558 foot summit. Twisted Mountain Hemlock hang onto the top next to the foundation piers of a long gone Forest Service lookout. From the lookout site follow a faint trail leading to the north ridge. After 1.6 miles take a right at the Bagby Hot Springs Trail, 544. The route then contours along the east face of Battle Ax crossing many large rock slides with views of Mt. Jefferson. Passing two small lakes and a spring-fed slope enlivened with wildflowers, continue to the road and walk the 0.4 miles back to your car.

The trail leading up Mt. Beachie climbs for 1.7 miles along the north side of the ridge crossing large rock slides with Pikas, (a.k.a. Rock Rabbits) sounding out warning calls intermittently. Stop along this mostly exposed ridge when you find a spot with a good view of the Opal Creek valley. The trail continues for another mile before reaching a junction for Byars Peak. You can also circumvent the northern end of the Opal Creek valley along French Crest Ridge by staying on this trail. Please consult a map for more information about this area.

This loop trail takes you to a lookout site on top of 4969-foot Whetstone Mountain, with views stretching from Mt. Adams to the Three Sisters. Noble and Pacific Silver Firs dominate the summit ridge with Rhododendrons in bloom from June to early July. Be sure to wear good hiking shoes and to carry lots of water. A good map of the area is also recommended.

Park at the locked gate and continue up the road a quarter mile past the Gold Creek Bridge. On your left (north) take trail 3369 that climbs up an old road towards Whetstone Mountain. A mile up this road there is a fork. To the right is the Whetstone Mountain trail, which will take you to a secluded lookout site on top of Whetstone Mountain. To the left is a new trail, still under construction, that leads up the Gold Creek valley for a short distance.

After reaching the ridge top, the aptly named Noble Firs characterized by their purplish-gray bark and bluish needles become prominent. Pacific Silver Firs, identified by their gray bark, are also more abundant. Traveling a total of 4.5 miles on trail 3369, you reach a steep side trail heading to the top of Whetstone Mountain. Though the lookout is gone foundation piers and a little broken glass mark the site. Snow capped Mt. Jefferson and Hood enrich the horizon, with more distant peaks visible on clear days. Stunted Alaskan Yellow Cedar dot the top with their weepy appearance and stringy bark.

At this point you have the option of turning back for an 11-mile round trip hike. For those looking to do the entire loop continue east on trail 3369 for 0.8 miles where you make a right at the junction of trail 546 and 3369. In 0.4 miles you reach another fork in the trail where again you take a right continuing on trail 3369. This 1.8-mile section of the trail is covered with many downed trees and drops 2000 feet before reaching Battle Axe Creek. In the summer it's an easy rock hop across but high spring run off can make it a cold wet crossing. Continue up the trail a short distance before making a right onto trail 3339.

Moving down towards Jawbone Flats you pass an old wilderness boundary gate, old mines and the remnants of an old mining camp. At the bottom of a series of road-grade switchbacks you will see a sign for Opal Pool, a short spur trail leading down to a scenic gorge. Continue down the road through Jawbone Flats and out to the trailhead.