Applegate Ridge Trail (ART) East

Recently opened in July 2017, this section of the Applegate Ridge Trail (ART) is a 5.6 mile stretch on the eastern end of the proposed 50-mile trail. We hiked this section on two separate days. The first day we entered the trail from Highway 238, about five miles south of Jacksonville. Presently, there is no established parking area at this trailhead, so it is necessary to park along the highway. The gate to the trail is on the east side of the highway. There isn't a sign for the trailhead yet, so it is a little tricky to locate (42.269906, -123.024205). We parked on the west side in order to avoid blocking the gate. Here's what it looks like from the highway (southbound):

Street View of East ART entrance gate (identified with orange arrow) from Highway 238

Applegate Trails Association provides a map of the trail here. It is a moderate climb starting from this side, but the remarkable scenery is worth the effort. Following the ridge tops above the Poorman and Bishop Creek drainages, the trail has a variety of wildflowers and grasses, sun-baked south-facing slopes, and cool sections shaded by large Douglas fir and madrone.

A notable pioneer from this area is George Black who staked his claim on Poorman's Creek.

GEORGE BLACK: lives on Poorman's Creek; is a native of County Down, Ireland; came to Oregon in 1851 and to Jackson County in 1852; is one of the pioneer miners of this country, which calling he still pursues.
~A. G. Walling, History of Southern Oregon, 1884, page 501

After about an hour you will reach a stunning view of the Applegate Valley.

The hike back down (if you do decide to return at this point) is an easy downhill trip. Other points of interest in the area include the Log Town Cemetery located about 1.75 miles south of the ART East trailhead on the east side of Highway 238. The first burials in this Cemetery were made in the 1850s when a busy gold mining camp was in existence along the Jacksonville-Crescent City trail (now Hwy 238). The highway today largely follows the old trail and wagon road, which was established to transport supplies to the mining camps in the area.

On another day, we hiked this trail entering from the western access point off Sterling Creek Road, which has a parking lot, trailhead kiosk, and picnic table.  The views coming from the west are equally stunning.

It is a relatively easy hike, as the trail winds along the mountain side. Some areas of quartz are visible near the beginning of the trail, a reminder that you are in gold country. The Sterling mine, owned by the Sterling Mining Co. incorporated in 1877, was located on Sterling Creek, a branch of Little Applegate River. It was, at one time, the largest hydraulic mine in the state, possibly the western U.S. The gold from this region was high in silver giving it a pale color. During this time, large areas of the riverbeds of Sterling Creek and the lower Little Applegate River were excavated.

The Medford Mail - November 27, 1903

You will most certainly be inspired by the natural beauty of this area. Due to its complex terrain, geology, climate, and biogeographic history, this region of southern Oregon (the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion), is considered to be a global center of biodiversity (Wallace 1982). The region most certainly deserves our attention and protection for future generations.