Eugene seems to have as many buttes as it does coffee shops, and like espresso drinks, everyone has his or her favorite.
Spencer Butte, located five miles south of downtown Eugene, provides a steep 1.5 to
2-mile hike just minutes from the city’s edge. The park at the base of the butte has a ropes course, picnic tables and a fire pit, but it is the hike to the butte’s peak that draws the most visitors.
Spencer Butte loop is part of the South Hills Ridgeline Trail in a forested area filled with Douglas Fir and Sword Fern. In choose-your-own-adventure fashion, the hike starts just outside the small parking lot with two trail options.
The main trail is a straight shot from the parking lot and is slightly longer than the trail that veers to the left. This one-mile trail begins as a broad dirt path through a meadow and eventually becomes a rocky climb
toward the butte’s peak.
For those who prefer a looped or steeper route, the left-veering trail is the best option. This trail begins as a rough path that continues for .4 miles and leaves hikers to blaze their own paths over the summit’s bare rock. To finish this loop, hikers descend on the far side of the
summit and hike down through the forest until they reach the parking lot.
On either route, hikers will be rewarded with a sweeping panoramic view of the city and
beyond. Hikers can stand or sit on top of the 2,062-foot high butte and see Willamette Valley, Fern Ridge Reservoir and the Three Sisters in a matter of minutes.
The view is particularly beautiful during morning and evening hours. Many hikers climb to the summit to watch sunrises or sunsets on a clear day. The park is open until 11 p.m.
“I think seeing the sunset was the most magnificent part of it all and then seeing the moon come up … it was very surreal with the view of the mountains,” said freshman Patricia Miesch, who hiked the butte at night for her first time in February.
Josh Keller, a grad student who joined Miesch on the Outdoor Program sponsored hike, had similar sentiments.
“As the sun sets, the lights in the city appear, and with darkness the whole city is lit up,” he said. “To the east, toward the Cascades, it is all black. The moon rising was orangish-yellow and huge. The Butte was bright like the day, we could almost see our shadows.”
He added that walking back in the dark forced him to rely on the feel of the trail and the sounds of the forest as his guide.
“It’s a very typical lush Oregon forest. It can get pretty wet,” said junior Emily Monfort, who works for the Outdoor Program. “I think it’s just gorgeous. There’s a meadow with wildflowers in the spring.”
Keller, who has hiked the butte at least 10 times, agreed.
“Moving between ancient forest and second and third growth sections provides a clear example of the diversity and beauty of an old growth forest,” he said. “Breaks in the canopy offer nice views of the city. Lush ferns are everywhere.”
The trail can also be used for more than
simple outdoor enjoyment.
Monfort used the steeper trail to train for a backpacking trip she took in Canada. Strapped into her backpack, she physically prepared herself for the trip by doing laps that broke in her new hiking boots in the process.
The Club women’s soccer team ran the trail in the fall for weekend training. Many local runners use the butte as a hill workout to add variety to their training.
The butte is a well-known location to
local runners as part of the annual Butte to Butte run. The 10K run and 4.5 mile
Mayor’s Walk are Fourth of July traditions. This year will be the 32nd occurrence of the event, which begins on Donald Street.
Last year’s youngest participant was
4 months old and in a stroller; the oldest was 79.
“With both a competitive run and a fitness walk, there is something for every ability
level,” said Tom Jordan, the co-race director. “Entire families often take part, some in the run and some in the walk. And the run course is challenging, with a steep uphill at the start.”
