The first Lane County pioneers climbed this grassy hill between the forks of the Willamette River, viewed the green dales at the end of the Willamette Valley, and named the hill Mount Pisgah, for the Biblical summit from which Moses sighted the Promised Land. The view is still dramatic, and the hike is especially fun when coupled with a stroll through the adjacent arboretum’s well-tended trail network.

Just south of Eugene, take . . .

Many of the arboretum’s trees and flowers are labeled. Detailed plant lists and trail maps are available in the visitor center beside the parking lot. The barn-sized White Oak Pavilion nearby is used for special events—notably a mushroom show on the last Sunday of October and a wildflower exhibition each May on the Sunday after Mothers’ Day. For arboretum information, call 541-747-3817 or check www.mountpisgaharboretum.org.

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes : Central Oregon Cascades