Pine Bench – May 23, 2026 – Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Group

Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

Ten of us showed up for the walk along Pine Bench, which is the easy part of this hike… but getting there took some effort! Most of the hike is through an old burn zone, but plenty of life has returned here, and not everything was blackened with fire.

We began at the Bradley Trailhead, which starts out level, and then heads downhill for a short distance. Then, about a half mile in, the real work begins as the trail begins an upward climb. The elevation gained here is over 600 feet in less than a mile, which prompted us to take little rest stops along the way, just long enough to take pictures of the spring flowers!

The trail eventually leveled off as we approached Pine Bench, about 1 ½ miles in. This flat, tree-covered mesa is a joy to walk through, with all the firs and pines reminding us why we hike. If Pine Bench was not in a designated wilderness area, no doubt there would be roads leading to campgrounds up here! Thankfully, this special place is reserved as a reward for those who want to make the effort to get here.

At the junction of the Boulder Creek Trail, we turned right and headed north, paralleling Boulder Creek, which was too far below us to see. But the view of the surrounding rocky hillside was quite awe inspiring. Looking off to the northwest we could make out the lookout on Illahee Rock.

About ½ mile from the junction, we took a smaller trail, which splits off to the left from the main trail, which led us to a campsite near a natural spring. We all enjoyed the views, socialized, and had lunch. After a good respite, we packed up and headed back down the trail to conclude this 6-mile hike.