The Saddle Mountain State Natural Area reopened on Sept. 6.

The Saddle Mountain State Natural Area reopened to visitors on Sept. 6 to the delight of hikers and nature enthusiasts across the region.

The trail, a strenuous route that clocks in at about 2.5 miles each way with over 1,600 feet of elevation gain, has been inaccessible for most of the past three years aside from a brief window in 2021. A failed log bridge forced the park’s closure in August of that year, and park leaders took the closure as an opportunity to address deferred maintenance of the trail and surrounding area.

The majority of work took place on the trail itself, according to Ben Cox, park manager at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Nehalem Bay Management Unit, which oversees Saddle Mountain. But visitors may notice a few other changes. The water system and the 10-site campground are gone, but the park now boasts a renovated picnic area and brand-new vault toilets.

The park had a targeted reopening date of early August, but further delays set park management back a month. And, Cox explained, there is still more work to be done in the coming months.

“We’re going to continue working up there,” he said. “But we felt confident in the work that we had already completed that people could come and enjoy, get a little bit of the recreation season, salvage the last month or two.”

Cox said that the parks department intentionally did a “soft open” so as not to flood the parking lot. On the morning of Sept. 7, the trail remained quiet, with just a few visitors trickling in and eager to revisit a favorite spot or try the hike for the first time.

Cole Field, of Portland, had never been to Saddle Mountain before, but had been staying on the coast when he saw the park had reopened.

“I’d hoped to hike it sometime in the last couple of years, (but) saw it was closed,” he said.

“I haven’t been paying too close attention to it, but hearing it was open I was like, ‘Yes, let’s go!’”

Mindy Richards, of Beaverton, was a frequent visitor to Saddle Mountain before the closure. She was impressed by the renovations since her last visit.

“(The hike) was really good,” she said “They did a good job reconstructing the trail. They’ve also put down some of that wonderful, heavy wire mesh, where the trail is really steep and rocky, so you don’t slide on the rocks. Very helpful because it’s really steep in a lot of places.”

Richards noted that the campground was a loss, but was happy to have the chance to return.

“It would’ve been kind of nice to camp around here, (but) mostly it’s just really nice having the trail open,” she said. “This is such an iconic place.”

Cox said he hopes visitors understand the uniqueness of Saddle Mountain. The state natural area is home to rare and threatened species, such as the Oregon silverspot butterfly.

“Be good stewards of the land, stay on the trail,” Cox said. “There are sensitive species up there. We’re trying to reintroduce the silverspot butterfly. Just be aware that it’s a special place, and treat it like a special place.”

Hikers should also come prepared with proper footwear and plenty of water.