Oregon's Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide

by Chandra Legue

Sales benefit Oregon Wild, a leading advocate for the region’s most precious wilderness areas
Natural history, ecology, flora, and fauna--fascinating to hikers and non-hikers alike



Oregon’s Ancient Forests is a guidebook with a to inspire readers to learn about and visit Oregon’s rapturous old-growth forests, and then love them enough to keep them protected. Not just for hikers, this Oregon Wild– sponsored guide explains where the forests are and who manages them, the threats they face, and an action plan for protecting what remains and restoring damaged forests so they may become the ancient forests of the future. Author Chandra LeGue discusses forest ecology, flora, and fauna and also details 91 of her favorite hikes across the state. Each hike

Trailhead GPS coordinates and driving directions
Trail distance, elevation gain, difficulty level, and best season to visit
Type and protection status of the forest
Full-color maps and photos

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Wendy Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite thorough hiking guide with lots of information about ancient forests. I feel like some of the discussion of ecology could have been a bit more thorough and everything could have been a little less dry, but overall, a pretty fascinating read. I can't wait to check out all of these trails!

[Ettore Pasquini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Paxton Gate curiosity shop in Portland. This is an odd and somewhat hipster place that normally i would despise, however the atmosphere did seem authentic. Some of the objects were indeed fascinating: unusual taxidermy, odd jewelry (very beautiful), hand made metal tools (looked solid), animal and human bones, images of death next to others of lush life. Matter of fact right below a glass cubby with a big tome about the history of dissection or something was this book about ancient forests. I was immediately drawn to it.

Apparently it’s an updated edition of an older text. The idea behind this book is great, however the execution left me hanging. It’s an extremely fascinating topic, yet this felt a bit like a drag. The first section about the ecology, history and types of ancient forests is done well. It's succinct and provides a good base to understanding how they work and who "work with" them. For example i didn’t know about the agencies (their role, scope, location) that administer public lands.

It’s the part about the walks that lacks some passion. It’s a bit too dry and most of the hikes feel similar and visually hard to identify. I mean i know all these hikes are awesome or at least that's what i've seen. I would have loved a quick list of facts particular to each hike, the typical foot traffic, what makes them unique.

From the first section, an ongoing theme is that whatever patches of ancient forests still exist today are tiny ass pockets of what once was. Human greed and capitalism have taken their toll for decades.

I do have a much clearer idea of the role a forest plays in our life. E.g. apparently coastal communities like Rockaway Beach get really polluted water because their coastal forests have been/are heavily logged and the soil is polluted with chemicals from herbicides -- contrast with Bull Run watershed, on the west side of Mount Hood, recovering undisturbed since 1996 and now providing Portland some of the cleanest drinking water of any major US city.

We are so disconnected from the normal natural cycle. We are uneducated and disrespectful to what sustains us. Divided, we only seem to follow the path of greed, and we are willing to lose everything to pursue it.

[Lynzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is fantastic - so good, I had to read the whole thing. she has a lot of great info not only about great hikes in OR, but how ancient forests are set up & how people have been screwing it up since the 1st colonizers came & decided the land was theirs to conquer. logging is still a big deal here and it's infuriating - yes, logging is a job, but the way we've been going about it is totally wrong.

it would be awesome to do all of these hikes - most are too far away for day hikes unless we're camping there.

[Nathan Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book though sad as it speaks of the trajedy of the lost forests that once filled Oregon. This book is a very good guide to understand the history and concervation efforts that have gone on in Oregon regarding the Wild lands. As well, as the title states, the book is filled with the hiking experiences Chandra has had and the details she offers than many other books do not such. I have had the pleasure of meeting Chandra and look forward to walking in her foot steps hiking in Oregon.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a hiker and lover of forests I enjoyed this book. Before recommending hikes to do it gives a very good overview of the defining characteristics of old growth forests and history and challenges Oregon's forests face. The authors descriptions of the trails are enjoyable and contain the basic information you need to start planning for a hike. I use this in conjunction with Bill Sullivan's hiking guides to compare each others way of describing the trail.

[Michael Davidson]

I own this. Gift from Patricia, Father's Day 2019.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful new book that I get to call "mine". And more hike suggestions that I hope to get to someday.

[Scott Tienken · Rating 3 out of 5]

needs more detailed maps

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great hiking book with a ton of hikes that I can't wait to do!!!

[Marina Richie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book is wet from the rain, full of check marks, underlines, and exclamations. Not only is this an excellent field guide, it's filled with education on ancient forests. The only caveat is I hope the book will be updated, because wildfires have changed some of the hikes. Before heading out to one of the forests, look online to find out the status.