Alder Springs, Crooked River National Grasslands, Oregon

Yet another good winter ride in Central Oregon is Alder Springs, this is an out and back of 10 miles although it can be made 3 miles longer by continuing on to Whychus Creek.

Alder Springs Trailhead.

To get there: From Sisters, take Hwy 126 east towards Redmond for 6 miles then turn left on Holmes Rd. Holmes will veer right after 1.5 miles, continue on Holmes until the 7 mile marker, keep an eye out on the left for a small sign saying Alder Springs, and FS Rd 6360. 

If you are coming from Redmond, take Hwy 126 west towards Sisters 8.5 miles, then take a right on Buckhorn Rd. (this is a gravel road) Follow it 6 miles, then take a left on Lower Bridge Rd, go 3 miles to where the pavement ends and take a left on Holmes Rd. Go 2.2 miles to the parking area and FS Rd 6360 on the right. And for anyone coming from Terrebonne  just follow Lower Bridge Rd. west to Holmes.

The parking area is not very big but you can turn around if you don't have a huge rig, and there is usually no one else there. The actual Alder Springs Trailhead is a hiking trail only (no horses) and is located 5 miles further along FS Rd. 6360. The ride I am about to describe, is riding along the road to get to the trailhead  From Dec 1st. through March 31st. the gate is closed to motorized vehicles, but even if you ride here when the gate is open, you will still need to park in the lot, since it is not a particularly horse trailer friendly road, and not getting any better as time goes on.

The parking area on FS Rd 6360.

There are some information boards at the parking area.

The gate is locked seasonally.

Some sections of the dirt road are softer than others, but it's better for your horse to have shoes or boots. One of the nice things about being there when the gate is locked, is that you will have the whole place to yourself. 

Starting off from the parking lot.

Sign near the parking lot.

Starting up the road there are views of the pond at Long Hollow Ranch.

Not too long into the ride you will need make sure to stay on the road, in order to respect the private property that exists for about 1.5 miles. Along here you will get a view, on a clear day, of all of the mountains from Bachelor all the way across the Three Sister's to Jefferson and even Mt Hood.

Some private property at the beginning of the ride.

Mt. Jefferson.

Plenty of mountain views along the way.

There will be two cattle guards with gates to go through, although the first one is now full of dirt and you can ride right over it. Update: as of 2021 the second cattle guard no longer has a gate, I took apart the fence in order to get through. After 4 miles, there will be a narrow road to the right and a sign for the Alder Springs TH, turn right and ride almost a mile to the end. 

The second cattle guard.

The parking lot at Alder Springs TH.

Views of Black Butte from Alder Springs TH.

There are some great views down into the canyons from there. Although you can't follow the trail any further on horseback, I have hiked it. It is 6 miles round trip, and at one point you will have to ford Whychus Creek, there is no bridge, so wading through is the only option. It's best to do the hike any time other than the middle of summer, it can get roaring hot, and rattlesnakes live there.

Looking down into the canyon from Alder Springs TH.

Looking down into the canyon from Alder Springs TH. Black Butte is in the background.

From there you can just retrace your steps and ride back to your truck, or you can go back to the main road and continue to the right, which goes another 1.5 miles one way, and will take you down to Whychus Creek, at a lovely spot by the water with picnic tables and some fire pits. After riding all day through juniper and sage you will now be in an oasis of green grass and Ponderosa with some really interesting rock formations overhead. If you are feeling really adventurous you could actually cross the creek, and follow the road on the other side for awhile.

At Whychus Creek, the road continues on the other side.

The rocks have lime green and orange lichen.

Whychus Creek.

This a good spot for a snack and a rest before your return trip.

Happy Trails!!

GPS COORDINATES TO ALDER SPRINGS