Mt. Pisgah
Size: A, Beauty: B, Activities: B, Overall: A-
Mount Pisgah is a hill in Lane County, Oregon, United States, rising 1,060 feet (320 m) above the surrounding Willamette Valley to a maximum elevation of 1,531 feet (467 m). It was named after the biblical Mount Pisgah. It is situated between the Coast Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette River, two miles (3 km) southeast of their confluence. Springfield is immediately north of Mount Pisgah, and the city of Eugene is a few miles west. It hosts the 2363-acre (956 hectare) Howard Buford Recreation Area as well as the non-profit Mount Pisgah Arboretum at its base.
Several hiking trails are maintained by the Lane County Parks Department on Mount Pisgah. The summit is accessible by a steep 1.4-mile (2.3 km) trail from a parking area near the base of the hill. Several other trails make their way through the adjacent arboretum and up the slopes. View from Mount Pisgah
The summit offers a panoramic view of the southern Willamette Valley and includes a bronze relief sculpture (a memorial for Ken Kesey's son Jed) illustrating the surrounding topography and identifying many nearby geographic features.
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The Mount Pisgah Arboretum (85 ha / 209 acres) is a non-profit arboretum and botanical garden located within the Howard Buford Recreation Area (930 ha / 2,300 acre), between the Coast Fork of the Willamette River and the slopes of Mount Pisgah near Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, United States.
The Friends of Mount Pisgah Arboretum was established in 1973 when it began to construct trails, build bridges, remove invasive species, and publish newsletters. Wildflower and mushroom shows were first held in 1981; staff hiring began in the early 1980s. The arboretum's mission is to maintain Pacific Northwest plant communities, offer environmental education programs, and provide for public enjoyment of its site.
The arboretum includes 7 miles (11 km) of riverside trails with 23 bridges, riparian meadows, evergreen forests, a rare section of preserved oak savanna, Douglas-fir and incense-cedar forests on hillsides, a water garden, wildflower meadows, a wooded picnic area, and restrooms. The White Oak Pavilion took the place of the deteriorating quonset hut shelter in 2005.
The arboretum's habitats are home to many species of native mosses, lichens, ferns, shrubs, and wildflowers. 67 families, 231 genera, and 339 plant species have been identified on the site. Wildlife includes bats, deer, coyote, foxes, and other small mammals, the endangered Western Pond Turtle, the sensitive species Red-Legged Frog, tree frogs, Gopher and garter snakes, and lizards. Birding is a popular activity in the arboretum, which is home to a variety of migratory and resident songbirds, raptors, and waterfowl. The arboretum publishes a bird checklist, as well as a plant checklist, to aid visitors in identifying the local species.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mt. Pisgah"