Location: Southern Oregon, near Ashland.
Not too far off the Mt. Ashland exit of I-5, it is a relatively short hike of around 45 minutes to an hour. Beginning as an average hike, once the rock is reached, it becomes very steep, somewhat chaotic and an entirely exciting hike.
History: used historically as a way to get to oregon from california, it is the result of a prehistoric volcanic eruption. The last grizzly bear in oregon was killed here in 1891, and it was a camp-site for the D'Autremont brothers, after the last great train robbery of 19223, at siskiyou tunnel.
Activities/Events: Pilot Rock is available for an exciting hike from late may, through November.
Our own Dustin Fuentes went on a hike about 2 weeks ago. Waking at the crack of dawn, 4 in the morning or so, they arrived at the base of the trail at around 4:30. He was with an experienced trail guide named Adam (last name unknown).
Their goal was to watch the sunrise on top of Pilot Rock, and it is a goal they met. Arriving an entire half hour before the sun rose to clear, sunny skies, our friends enjoyed a breathtaking view for the duration of their stay. all in all it could be said with a singular quote from Dustin during an in-class interview:
"Totally worth it-- one of the best hikes I've been on."
So if you are ever interested in a 360 degree view of breathtaking beauty, take a hike up to Pilot Rock!
