Bolan Mountain - History and Hiking in Josephine County, Oregon

Bolan Mountain - History and Hiking in Josephine County, Oregon

Would you pay pure gold to bowl in the wilderness? Well, the Oregon gold miners did, and they paid plenty!

In 1853, Oregon's gold rush was in full swing, and there were, as always, those who would find ways to obtain gold without having to break their backs to get it!

Bolan Mountain takes its' name from Bolan Creek, which was originally named "Bowling Creek" because of the bowling alley which was built at the confluence of "Sucker Creek" and "Bowling Creek." (I'll save the naming of "Sucker Creek" for another day.)

This area was some of the "richest land on earth," and some enterprising men decided to get rich on the "entertainment-starved" miners.

This area is so remote that we drove seventy miles southwest of Grants Pass, Oregon to find it!

The last leg of our journey was on a forestry road that winds in and out of Oregon and California as it travels through the mountains on the border.

In the early mining days, even a trip"out" for supplies would take days of effort, so people freighting in supplies by pack animals were well paid, as the miners dared not leave their claims.

A bowling alley in a place where there wasn't a town, or even a road, was incredible to conceive, but they built it, and it prospered! That is, until the Indians burned it to the ground!

Then, in 1857 they rebuilt the bowling alley. Men carried 30 balls and 20 bowling pins on their backs through this rugged country.

We didn't research how long that bowling alley remained, as we were more interested in the hike to the top of now-named Bolan Mountain.

There is a lookout building atop Bolan Mountain, and you can rent the facility when it is not being used for fire spotting. When you rent it, you get a key for the gate, and can drive up the dirt road to the top.

You are allowed to park below and walk the road up the mountain, or you may continue further down to the incredibly beautiful Bolan Lake,

which is the "hidden gem" of the Oregon/California border.

From this beautiful lake, we took the trail around the other side of the mountain to experience the most amazing views you can imagine.

Mountain ranges go on and on to the horizon, and one experiences a breathtaking panorama of views and shadows that professional photographers would find overwhelming.

Granite and rock cliffs hover overhead,

and every year the water in the cliff cracks freezes and expands, shearing huge slabs off,

to plunge down the steep slopes.

This trail winds through rotting trees,

giant mushrooms,

and many astoundingly beautiful mountain meadows filled with millions of blooming flowers.

This was such an experience, that once we reached the summit, we retraced our way back along the same trail rather than take a boring road down.

The views from the 6300+ peak are rewarding beyond description.

The Pacific Ocean can be seen just above the distant ridgeline. The photo doesn't do justice to this scene due to the lack of enough quality lens magnification, heat waves, and shaky amateur photographer. Hey, what do you expect from a Realtor®?

There was a nice couple from California renting the lookout, but they invited us up for the view.

Everywhere you look on Bolan Mountain, there are such incredible scenes unfolding before ones' eyes, that it's impossible to take everything in.

Just over the nearby forested ridge you can see the beautiful Illinois Valley, which was our beginning point when we left Cave Junction.

The fish were beginning to hit the water as we made it back down. We wanted to search for the remains of the old bowling alley, but I'm certain that any signs of it were long ago reclaimed by Bolan Mountain.

If you're interested in the outdoors, and you want to hike somewhere new each week for years to come, Southern Oregon should be your destination!