Mount Pisgah (Lane County, Oregon) facts for kids
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 is the site of the 2363-acre (956 hectare) Howard Buford Recreation Area as well as the non-profit Mount Pisgah Arboretum at its base.
Recreation
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.
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.
Arboretum
The Mount Pisgah Arboretum covers 209 acres (0.85 km2) at the base of Mount Pisgah and offers visitors 7 miles (11 km) of trails through natural riverside habitat and hundreds of cataloged plant species. Admission is $4 per car and permits can be purchased at a self-service pay station.
Geology
The hill consists of basalt or its intrusive equivalent diabase. Small crystals of calcite and various zeolite minerals are often seen where the rock outcrops, especially near the summit. Specific minerals found in the area include agate, calcite, heulandite, jasper, malachite, mesolite, and quartz
