Sawtooth Ridge

This flower-lined trail with big views will make you wonder if the Blue Mountains earned their name from the carpets of larkspur along the route.

This pleasant ridge romp works well as either a dayhike or an overnight backpack. The trail starts high and gradually descends, remaining in the forest for the early miles, then breaking out onto the high Sawtooth Ridge with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside.

The wilderness here is so untrammeled that the trail begins to disappear into the underbrush after the first 3 easy miles. Watch for the spur trail to Burnt Flat and Lady Camp at an unmarked intersection at approximately the 3 mile mark.

The camp is nearly a mile off the main trail. Nearby Lady Spring is difficult to locate and may dry up later in the summer, so hike here at the height of wildflower season for the best chance of finding sufficient water.

Back on trail, use your map and compass to continue, and when in doubt, remain on the ridgetop. At approximately the 4 mile mark, a green-and-white sign on a large tree marks the boundary between Washington and Oregon, a good turnaround spot.

According to Forest Service maps, the trail continues another 10 miles to the Wenaha River, but on the ground this trail may prove too difficult to locate.

WTA Pro Tip: Near Sawtooth Ridge, in 1826, naturalist David Douglas made the discovery of North America's first known wild peony. Watch for its low blooms of mauve tinged with yellow hiding among the showier flowers along the route.