The North Umpqua Trail provides opportunities for a variety of recreational pursuits, including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, photography, fishing, and sightseeing, in some of the most beautiful settings found in the Pacific Northwest.
Beginning near Glide, Oregon, the path parallels the North Umpqua River eastward for most of it's 79 miles. Divided into eleven segments from over three to just under sixteen miles in length, the trail leads high into the Cascade Mountain Range near Maidu Lake and connects with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000. The higher elevations of the trail are snowed in during winter months, while the lower segments are open most of the year. Gradients range from moderate to easy for much of its length, however, there are short sections that offer more of a challenge. Several spur trails lead to waterfalls, fishing holes, camp sites, and "outdoor classrooms", where plants and wildlife can be observed in a natural setting.
First envisioned in the early 1970's, construction of the North Umpqua Trail started in 1978. Through the cooperative efforts of the Umpqua National Forest, Roseburg District Bureau of Land Management, Douglas County Park Department, and many dedicated volunteers, it was completed in 1996.