To ride to the top of Eagles Rest you have to be after more than the view. You have to enjoy the feeling of burning thighs and a heart beat that is red-lining. The view is worth it, but it doesn't come easy. The climb from the trailhead to the top is 2000 vertical feet in 8 miles. From the top looking south over the Lost Creek Valley, the green covered summits of Mt. June and Hardesty Mountain stand defiantly above the approaching clearcuts.
Eagles Rest Trail can be ridden in different ways. The toughest way is to ride Goodman Trail and Eagles Rest Trail up, turn around, and ride the trails down. The easiest way is to have a friend drive you up to near the top of Eagles Rest and ride the 7 miles of single-track down. For something in between, ride the trail as described below.
Park at the South Willamette trailhead. From the parking lot, ride west 0.1 miles on Highway 58 to Goodman Creek Road 5833. The road surface is hard-pack dirt and gravel. At 2.8 miles the road divides. Stay left on Road 5833. At 3.5 miles the road intersects the Goodman Creek Trail and the Eagles Rest Trail, elevation 1640 feet. At about 5 miles, Road 5833 divides again, stay right on spur Road 509. At 5.7 miles take a right on the next paved road. At 7 miles the paved road crosses the Eagles Rest Trail 3461. This trail junction is easy to miss so keep an eye out for it. The 0.7 miles to the summit is steep with some tight switchbacks. If you have made it this far, you can make it to the top.
Below the summit the trail resumes on the other side of the road. The trail passes Ash Swale Shelter and crosses a number of boardwalks and bridges. After 2.5 miles of downhill, the trail ends at Road 5833. On the other side of the road is the upper trailhead of the Goodman Creek Trail.
The last 0.2 miles before the parking lot is down a very smooth and wide trail. The temptation is to go fast. Resist the urge; this is the access trail to four very popular hiking trails that see significant use. Scare a few hikers here, and you will probably be run up a tree or worse.
The sign marking Eagles Rest Trail states that it is not recommended for horses or mountain bikes. This is because the trail in the rainy months (most months) becomes a quagmire of mud. Don't ride this trail when it is wet.
Keith Nelson
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