Hike Triangulation Peak & Boca Cave

I found this trail on Everytrail.com, which I recommend as a good resource to find hiking trails. To get to the trailhead, you need to drive about 56 miles east from Salem on Highway 22. When you get just east of Idanha, turn onto McCoy Creek Road 2233 on the north side of the highway. Follow this a little more than 8 miles until the pavement ends and the road becomes gravel. Follow signs for 2233 until about 1.3 miles after a small building that is sometimes used for winter sports where you pick up a gravel forest Road 635 which leads to the Triangulation Peak trailhead a little way down the road. Be advised that the signs in this area are few and far between, and sometimes don't agree with what you expect to see. A Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead.

I went on this hike with my friend, Michael from Corvallis, as his wife was gone to visit relatives, and so was mine. When we were there, there was a big termite pile near the trailhead, just south of the trailhead about 10 feet. You can drive further down the forest road, and if you do you don't get to walk about a quarter of a mile in the forest. The trail is about 5 miles round trip, and is not a bad hike for an afternoon when you want to discover some nice vistas and get some good exercise and fresh air. The cave is just below the peak a little ways, don't have too high of expectations, but it's interesting such as it is. The view on top is very good on a clear day. The day we were up there, there were forest fires raging in western Oregon, and the smoke created a haze over everything. The picture of Mt. Hood and the picture of three sisters peaks show this forest fire haze especially well. You can just barely make out the features of these mountains through the haze.