Overview
Eight Dollar Mountain (8$) is located in the Illinois Valley in Southwest Oregon. It sits prominently just west of Hwy 199 (
Redwood Highway) about midway between
Selma and
Cave Junction. The summit of 8$ is an important communications relay station for the Illinois Valley and has several antennas and communications buildings for television, radio, telephone, and emergency services in the area.
8$ is one of the 73 peaks in Oregon with at least
2,000 ft of prominence. It ranks #33 on the list with 2,521 ft of prominence. 8$ Mtn is bordered on the west by the
Wild and Scenic Illinois River, on the north by Deer Creek, on the east by Hwy 199 (Redwood Highway), and on the south by Eight Dollar Mountain Road.
8$ is owned by the
Siskiyou National Forest and the
Bureau of Land Management. The summit is bisected in a north/south direction with the National Forest to the west and the BLM land to the east.
Nearby peaks include the highpoint of the
Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area,
Pearsoll Peak and the Josephine County Highpoint,
Grayback Mountain.
Getting There
The Trailhead for Eight Dollar Mountain is easy to find. Find Highway 199 (Redwood Highway) between Grants Pass and Cave Junction. At Milepost 24, which is 24 miles south of Grants Pass and 4 miles north of Cave Junction, turn west onto Eight Dollar Road. This is well signed and indicates the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area is 17 miles from this intersection. You only have to drive 1.0 mile from the Highway 199. At 1.0 mile there is a newly paved single lane road on your right that usually has a locked gate across the road. Across the road from the paved road is a large gravel parking area with room for at least 20 vehicles. Park here. This is a road hike of about 7.0 miles round trip and 2,625 ft of elevation gain. It took me just under 3 hours for the hike car to car. Refer to the 8$ Road Hike for more info.
Red Tape
There is no Red Tape for this hike. The Northwest Forest Pass is not required anywhere in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest.
Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest Contact Information
Wild Rivers Ranger District
Joel King, District Ranger
2164 N.E. Spalding Avenue
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Phone Grants Pass (Galice):
Voice: (541) 471-6500
Fax : (541) 471-6514
TTY: 1-866-510-6861
Illinois Valley Ranger Station
26568 Redwood Hwy
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Phone Cave Junction (Illinois Valley):
Voice: (541) 592-4000
Fax : (541) 592-4010
TTY: (541) 592-4011
Bureau of Land Management
Medford Office
3040 Biddle Road Medford, OR 97504
(541) 618-2200
Grants Pass Interagency Office
2164 NE Spalding Ave Grants Pass, OR 97526
(541) 471-6500
Camping
There are a few campgrounds nearby.
Lake Selmac is a nice place a few miles off of Hwy 199. Also there is a little more primitive campground about 2.5 miles further west on Eight Dollar Road across the famous Green Bridge.
National Forest Campgrounds are listed here, some of them in the Wild Rivers Ranger District are quite a ways from the trailhead.
The best place to backpack camp is on the summit. There is no water on the summit of any developed campsites, but there are flat areas
When to Climb
The best time to climb Eight Dollar Mountain is spring, summer, and fall. This area gets some snow in the winter, but it usually melts off fairly quickly. It can be quite warm in the summer and there is no easily accessible water source on the mountain.
Mountain Conditions
The mountain is accessible all year round. During the winter the occaisionaly snow storm may present obstacles. During the summer the area is subject to thunderstorms and you should check the weather forecast before hiking. The closest town is
Cave Junction, Oregon External Links