Agency: USDA Forest Service Location: 35 miles east of Brookings on forest roads. Difficulty: Easier Distance: 1 miles (round trip) High Point: 4,655 feet Visited: Dec 1997 Season: Possibly year round.

A splendid sixty-minute journey leads from Brookings, along the crystal clear Chetco River, to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Approaching from the south on broad US Highway 101, turn right onto County Road 784 (North Bank Road) immediately north of the Chetco River bridge.

Continue 8 miles, alternating through rural and residential areas. Just beyond Loeb State Park, the pavement narrows to a single winding lane which crosses densely wooded slopes far above the River. Pass through a recently (May 1999) paved rural-residential stretch to a bridge over the chilly South Fork Chetco River. There is a nice swimming hole below the bridge which is useful for a refreshing dip on particularly hot days. You are usually beyond the reach of cool ocean breezes here.

Behond the narrow bridge you have a choice of routes. A right leads up curvaceous Road 1909 to the Kalmiopsis in 18 miles. Rockfalls are common along this route, sometimes completely blocking the way. To right left is Road 1917 which takes a big looping route to eventually join back in with 1909, covering six extra miles in the process. Pass the intersection with Road 1376, which leads north toward interesting Green Craggies, though it washes out frequently. Continue up Long Ridge to Packer's Cabin, Quail Prairie Lookout (worth a quick stop) and Upper Chetco Trailhead.

Once rejoining Road 1909, continue several miles. You gradually gain elevation on Devils Ridge, passing a number of side roads, some good timber, and nice looking Red Prairie Camp. For Chetco Rim Trailhead and Vulcan Peak, bear right and continue a short distance on Spur 261. For Johnson Butte Trailhead and Vulcan Lake, follow Spur 260 to the end of the road. Take it slow as it is very rocky.

If you have a water filter, I suggest pausing to fill your bottles from delicious, cold Moores Creek. I prefer to take the water from UPSTREAM of the road bed. While you're there, make sure to look for a patch of Darlingtonia califoricum (pitcher plants) overhanging the road.

Vulcan Lake Trail #1110A (1.6 miles)

Vulcan Lake (4,000 feet elevation), one of very few bodies of water in the Kalmiopsis, occupies a beautiful basin. Unfortunately, when my wife and I were there during August of '96, we shared the lake with a couple of highly exuberant folks who we re using fallen logs as floatation devices. They could be heard for a mile in all directions. There were tents set up on the north shore of the lake, obviously a popular summer spot. The lake also supported a large population of California Newt. Despite its muddy bottom the water looked clear. When filtered it tasted fine.

Vulcan Peak Trail #1120  (2 miles, allow 1 hour each way)

At 4,655 feet, Vulcan Peak is the third-highest mountain in the Kalmiopsis. It affords a supreme vantage point. I expected to need a jacket on top when I climbed it on a clear January day, but instead hung my cotton shirts on a dwarfed tree to dry while I sunbathed on a rock. Toward the south and east a chain of hills known as the Chetco Rim guard the borders of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. On the southern horizon lay the snow capped Siskiyous, the most conspicuous of which is Preston Peak (7,309'). Just a few degrees to the left of Preston, a sliver of mighty Mount Shasta is visible above the lower, central ridge of the Siskiyous.

The red, clay-like lump of Pearsoll Peak marks the eastern compass point, and beyond it, tiny in the distance, rise the Cascade summits of Union Peak, Mt. Scott, and Llao Rock in Crater Lake National Park. Back before the volcanic explosion which formed Crater Lake, the view of 12,000 foot Mount Mazama must have been impressive from here. Turning northward one sees Green Craggie and the Illinois River valley, and to the west a lighthouse on a tiny rock far offshore in the Pacific Ocean.

Before departing, make your way along the summit ridge to a rocky outcropping at its conclusion. From here, enjoy a bird's eye view of the Vulcan Lakes 900 feet below.

Gardner Mine Loop #1122A

Turn right and continue until you reach kind of a quarry where gravel is piled all around. A little exploring here should lead you to the mineshaft, a tiny tunnel drilled laterally into the hillside. After passing the shaft, the trail wander s into a meadow, and emerges as a very faint trace. Contouring across a dry, rocky slope, follow a series of rock cairns. As long as you stay on roughly the same contour, you'll be fine. A left at Vulcan Lake Trail #1110A leads to the main lake; take a right to ruturn to Trail #1110 in close proximity of the trailhead.

Johnson Butte Trailhead #1110

Campground: Red Prairie Camp

Chetco Rim Trailhead #1210