NPSO 2022 Annual Meeting

May 20 - 22     Spirit Mountain Lodge, Grand Ronde, Oregon

Field Trips

Saturday May 21, 2022    9 a.m. - 4 p.m.                    Field Trip # 27

Difficulty:     Moderate to strenuous  (4.2 miles) - The lower part of the trail is steep with rocks, exposed tree roots, and uneven terrain.

Elevation:     700 feet elevation gain

Group Size Limit:     12

Trip Description:     Bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the south by the Salmon River Estuary, Cascade Head is a coastal prairie offering spectacular views of the Oregon coast. The basalt headland originated as a seamount, an underwater extrusion of lava that occurred 40-12 million years ago when the ocean extended far inland. The Preserve and surrounding forest are recognized as a National Scenic Research Area and as components of the UNESCO Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve.

The headland provides critical habitat for the Oregon silverspot butterfly, which is federally listed as a threatened species. The larvae depend upon leaves of the hookedspur violet (Viola adunca ssp. adunca) as their sole food source and adult butterflies nectar on various species of Asteraceae. The headland requires periodic disturbance to maintain the grassland, and prescribed fire is used as a management tool, carrying on the tradition of Tribal burning at the site.

The trail meanders through a forest of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and red alder (Alnus rubra). It emerges onto a coastal prairie that is home to numerous wildflowers and native prairie grasses, including red fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. rubra), wild rye (Elymus glaucus), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), California brome (Bromus carinatus), wild oatgrass (Danthonia californica), edible thistle (Cirsium edule), Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), Pacific paintbrush (Castilleja littoralis), stream lupine (Lupinus rivularis), farewell-to-spring (Clarkia amoena), Oregon iris (Iris tenax), Menzies' larkspur (Delphinium menziesii), hairy-stemmed checkermallow (Sidalcea hirtipes), and coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis). Ninety-nine percent of the world's population of the Cascade Head catchfly (Silene douglasii var. oraria), a federally listed species of concern and state threatened species, is protected here.

Appropriate Clothing and Footwear:     Sturdy boots and hiking poles recommended.

Special Considerations:     The headland can be windy and cold.

Meeting Place and Time:     Trip # 27 leaves at 9 a.m. from Spirit Mountain Lodge entrance. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time to meet your group and arrange carpools.

Alternate Meeting:     Participants may also meet the trip at 9:30 a.m at Knight County Park Boat Landing, 2341 N. Three Rocks Road, Otis, Oregon 97368. If you choose this option, be sure to notify your trip leader in advance.

Driving Miles and Time from Spirit Mountain Lodge:     26 miles, 32 minutes to Knight County Park boat landing

Driving Directions:     Trip leader will provide detailed driving instructions.

Leader:       Aislinn Adams

Botanical illustrator and educator, Aislinn Adams Design, Willamette Chapter

Plant Lists and Other Information:    

Chapter in book: "Burning Cascade Head." In Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.

Photo: courtesy of Camp Westwind
Cascade Head and the Salmon River Estuary at low tide

Photo: Kareen Sturgeon
View from Cascade Head

Photo: courtesy of Oregon Flora Project
Hairy-stemmed checker mallow (Sidalcea hirtipes) grows on the coastal prairie of Cascade Head.