Bald Hill Park

A nice place to get out in the forest practically in town.

There's an extensive trail network that is very well marked. There are some trails where there's more than one option to go to the same place where the trails are very close together. There are some "social trails" that are showing up where people decide to make their own trails. Too bad - they aren't in great spots.

There are trails through native oak trees. Look out for flying clowns, uh ... Acorn Woodpeckers. In the spring you can find trout lilies and tiger lilies and larkspur and many other wildflowers. It would be pretty easy to link a bunch of trails together for a ten mile hike without really retracing your path. A five mile walk is easy. An even easier walk is along the paved path from Oak Creek Drive to Reservoir Avenue, or you can access it from the Benton County Fairgrounds.

There's some very large madrone trees in places (Arbutus menzesii). I saw one that was 29" dbh. Very lovely.

From the top there are two vistas. One looks west towards Marys Peak. The other looks east-southeast towards the valley. Both vistas are nice.

It's not all great though. Expect a little noise because it's so close to town. Trains. Traffic. Machinery. It's there. But it is so close you can bike there easily from almost anywhere in town, and from most places in town there's bike paths to help you stay away from the cars. There's also some invasive species - holly, honesuckle, and of course blackberry. It's sad to see it, but perhaps a restoration will happen. There's also a native plant to be aware of because it's all over. Best to know what it looks like in winter if you don't stay right on the path. No surprise. Without fire on the landscape, poison oak just grows fantastic. Fire has been suppressed from the landscape, it's probably not a great idea to put it back on the landscape without some other restoration first like they've done on a path that leads from the Bald Hill system up to Fitton Green. You can actually hike up to Fitton Green, over the top, down Crestmont, and into Wren. Neat-O.

It can be a busy place especially when there's good weather and it's a weekend. Even mid-day mid-week you'll see plenty of other people. I'll be one of them. Wave when you see me.

A TON OF FUN ! We walked this scenic rural path this afternoon. It probably took us about a hour. The kids brought their dog like they do almost daily. The walk was very enjoyable though it was a bit chilly at 45F. Time to head back to the house for an ice cold IPA !

My roommate and I have gone to Bald Hill twice now. The first time we entered along Oak Creek Road and stayed to the left of the Y-intersection on a paved path. The second time, we entered through the Benton County Fairgrounds entrance and continued along the pavement until taking a left turn in order to start towards the actual trail (which is non-pavement).

Starting from the Benton County Fairgrounds entrance is in my opinion the easier and shorter way to get to the top of Bald Hill. It took us about an hour and a half to hike up and down. When in the rainy season, the dirt trails can create a gooey muddy mess so I would suggest wearing shoes you don't care about if ending up with mud on them. I'm betting during the summertime the dirt paths are amazing and easier to walk on.

When you finally reach the top of the hill, you have an amazing 360 panoramic view. It is dog friendly, family friendly (although young kids may not like the upward climb as much) and very popular among OSU students. It will definitely be a favorite place this summer.

There are multiple entrances - and you can even ride horses to the top along certain trails. Hikers rate this as an "easy" trail and if googled, the overall trail is about 9-10 miles long (depending on what entrance you take) and can average out to 1-3 hours worth of hiking. Enjoy !!!

Great place to go for an easy walk with your dogs. Lots of open space, an off-leash area, and a paved main walkway which is great for rainy days.

A Corvallis classic. Sit at the top of bald hill and your soul will resonate.

I have walked/hiked here more times than I can count. Great trails and a variety of different loops. The view from the top is wonderful! This is a must do if you live in The Philomath/Corvallis area.

Great set of loop trails encompassing forest and pasture. Nice overlook at the top with a cute barn as you start to hike up. Easy hike with benches at the top.

Such a staple hiking spot in Corvallis. It can be as easy or difficult as you want, but none of the trails are impossible and all of them are beautiful. Definitely wear "mud suitable" shoes if it had rained in the last few days and watch out for horse poop, but the paths themselves are very clear and easy to navigate.

This is an awesome area to walk, hike, jog, or even spend time simply exploring nature. I run on the trails nearly every day. The hike up can get muddy when wet but the views at sun up an sun down are amazing. On the top of the hill is a great place to consider having a picnic.

Best spot in Corvallis. Come up here on a sunny day, take one of the many trails to the top of the hill, and enjoy the best view around here.