Frog Pond trail near Red Buttes - GPS

The images on this page are of Frog Pond in Red Buttes Wilderness. Both photos taken on the same day in June of 2006. The previous winter of 2005-2006 had a bit more snow than average. Be sure to utilize a forest map, but I provided approximate GPS coordinates below, for the pond and area of the trail.

This is a very nice trail - it's got character. When these photographs were taken in June of 2006, aquatic lilies were just starting to emerge from the bottom. This was my favorite adventure hiking tour in 2006. The previous winter had double the normal precipitation.

Instead of writing directions here, your best option is to get a map of Rogue River National Forest from a ranger station. The Frog Pond trail area is clearly marked. Look at the south region of the forest. Frog Pond and trail are south of Applegate Lake, just within the Red Buttes Wilderness.

When you read the map, note a small gulch / creek between Cameron Meadows trailhead, and Frog pond trailhead. A creek washes across the road here, and it's doubtful that you can drive across before June.

Both Cameron Meadows trail and Frog Pond trail, reach Frog Pond. Frog Pond trail has a bit more character and is slightly shorter. Both trails will speed your breathing for the first third of the hike.

If you want to reach Frog Pond via Frog Pond trail - meaning driving across the stream, then drive there after June 15th. If you want to reach the pond earlier, the road to Cameron Meadows trailhead should be reachable by vehicles from April to June. Snow can linger until late May. As you see from the photo, we reached the pond in June. But record rainfall brought more snow than usual the previous winter. The approximate GPS coordinates of the pond and area are:

41.979218, -123.261386

Click for approximate area with Google Map or Google Earth.

Whatever you do, don't drive up there without a spare tire. Also, no streams cross Frog Pond trail. You may cross a stream that decend from it, as you approach the trailhead, but not any on the trail. The first extra water for purifying is at the pond. It's a short trail, but bring the water you need.

If you drive for a hike to Frog Pond, and find both trailheads inaccessible, odds are that you can get as far as the Shoe-Fly or Butte Fork trailhead which is just a couple of miles prior to Cameron Meadows. It's elevation is lower, and snow hindered access to it for only about 3 months in December and January.

The worst case scenario in November to March, if you can't reach any of those 3 trails, is to hike the Collings Mountain trail next to Applegate Lake. I don't remember a day when when snow prevented driving to that one.

But of all these, Frog Pond was the most appealing hike of all. Simply put, your best window of opportunity is mid-June to October.

 

Oregon Coast Seaside	Southern Oregon And The Oregon Caves	Oregon Forest Fungi, Mushrooms	Rogue River National Forest, Applegate	Redwoods Of The Pacific Coast	Oregon And Columbia River Gorge