Thurston Hills Natural Area spans 665 acres of land set aside for recreation and habitat restoration. It includes over 12 miles of trails, including the region’s first natural-surface mountain bike trails with routes for downhill mountain bike travel only. A few paths are reserved solely for hikers, and the remaining are open for multi-use. 

The hilly paths wind through open meadows, oak woodlands, and Douglas-fir forests to the top of a basalt plateau. Panoramic views follow much of the travel and steep climbs offer the sense of a grand outdoor adventure. Trails toward the top circle rocky outcrops and towering hexagonal columns that tell the story of an ancient lava flow from the Cascades.

Suggested Route for Newcomers: 

  • Make a roughly 5-mile hiking loop from Quartz Park to the foot-travel-only Cascadian Thumb Trail.
  • Park at Quartz Park at 2300 South 60th Avenue in Springfield. The lot is open dawn to dusk with a gate that closes after hours.
  • Walk east up Quartz Avenue to Weyerhaeuser Road, where you’ll find a trailhead for the Lower Camas Crest Trail across the street. Continue 1.3 miles to the trail’s intersection with Cervus Road. 
  • Walk up the gravel Cervus Road until it levels at the junction with Upper Camas Crest Trail on the right and Basalt Rim Trail on the left. Turn and keep left on the Basalt Rim Trail as it circles back to the west.
  • Watch for the 0.4-mile Cascadian Thumb Trail, which will come in on the left and has a rack available for locking up bikes to hike the path. The one-way loop offers a stunning overlook to the south and one to the north, and peaks at 1,397 feet.
  • Return to the Basalt Rim Trail and continue left back to its intersection with Cervus Road. Hike Cervus Road 1.5 miles down to its junction with Lower Camas Crest Trail. 
  • Turn right on Lower Camas Crest Trail to follow the path back to Quartz Park.

Suggested Route to Keep Exploring:

  • Hike out and back on the Lower Mossy Maple Trail for a 3-mile round-trip.
  • Park at Thurston Hills Natural Area’s north trailhead at 7575 McKenzie Highway in Springfield.
  • Find Lower Mossy Maple Trail’s start near the parking lot and continue up the path’s series of switchbacks until its intersection with Upper Mossy Maple Trail just after it crosses the Yew Haw and Acer Spades trails (both for downhill biking only).
  • Descend the way you came.

Know Before You Go:

  • Thurston Hills Natural Area Trail Map – Hard copies are available at the Bob Keefer Center at 250 South 32nd Street in Springfield.
  • A restroom is available at the north trailhead and a portable toilet at Quartz Park.
  • Some trails close to mountain bikes during the rainy season. Check the Willamalane site for the current status of each trail.

Korrin Bishop is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience covering travel and outdoor recreation. Her work has appeared in publications including Fodor's Travel, U.S. News & World Report, Southern Living, Sierra Magazine, and Adventure Journal. At Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Korrin covers adventures, skill-building, and community in the outdoors. Learn more at korrinbishop.com.