Ironside Mine 1925

Trail Overview

Ironside Mine 1925 has been named after the gold mine that currently sits at a mountainside along this drive in the Willamette National Forest. The WNF encompasses roughly 1.7 million acres in Central Oregon which is located just outside of Oakridge, Oregon. You start by crossing the clear but fast-moving Christy Creek where a beautiful campsite sits. As you continue this route it leads you up the hillside where there are endless waterfalls that flow over the side of the road, mountains so beautiful that photos don't do them justice. The surface of the road is gravel with an easy grade to get to the end. It's roughly 15 miles long with several areas to collect firewood, stop for lunch, take photos of the vast mountain ranges, and even get a glimpse of a black bear running down the road. There are hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails here along with several other off-road trails that can be accessed by two-wheel and four-wheeled vehicles. The WNF spans 110 miles and has over 300 different species of wildlife. Chinook salmon, deer, black bear, cougar, raccoon, and blue jays are just some of what you might see while exploring this region. The weather is mild and warm during the summer months. This road isn't passible by four-wheeled vehicles during the late fall and winter months due to heavy snowfall along with heavy rainfall and closed gates. Dispersed campsites can be found all along this route but are primitive with no running water or restrooms. This area has been logged over the years so there is plenty of free firewood to collect and permits can be acquired by phone with the local ranger station. All national forests follow the pack it in and pack it out rules with regard to waste and trash along with tread lightly. Let's keep our forests green.

Photos of Ironside Mine 1925

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Difficulty

This is an easy gravel road which has an slow steady grade, there are steep drop off's ledges, fallen trees, rock slides and possible flash flooding.

History

This area was very popular with gold mining and brought about a sort of a gold rush. Here is some more information on the mining that occurred in this area. https://thediggings.com/mines/12075

Technical Rating