Mount Pisgah (Lane County, Oregon)
Mount Pisgah is a small mountain in Lane County, Oregon, United States, rising above the surrounding Willamette Valley to a maximum elevation of. It was named after the biblical Mount Pisgah. It is situated between the Coast Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette River, southeast of their confluence. Springfield is immediately north of Mount Pisgah, and the city of Eugene is about west. It is the site of the Howard Buford Recreation Area as well as the non-profit Mount Pisgah Arboretum at its base.
Geology
The hill consists of basalt or its intrusive equivalent diabase. Small crystals of calcite and various zeolite minerals are often seen where the rock outcrops, especially near the summit. Specific minerals found in the area include agate, calcite, heulandite, jasper, malachite, mesolite, and quartz. Mount Pisgah is known for its diverse plant and animal life. The area features a mix of oak savanna, meadows, and woodlands. Wildflowers are abundant during the spring.Recreation
Several hiking trails are maintained by the Lane County Parks Department on Mount Pisgah. The summit is accessible by a steep trail from a parking area near the base of the hill. Several other trails make their way through the adjacent arboretum and up the slopes.The summit offers a panoramic view of the southern Willamette Valley and includes a bronze relief sculpture illustrating the surrounding topography and identifying many nearby geographic features.
Arboretum
The Mount Pisgah Arboretum covers at the base of Mount Pisgah and offers visitors of trails through natural riverside habitat and hundreds of cataloged plant species. As of May 2020, admission is $5 per car and permits can be purchased at a self-service pay station, card only.Willamette Confluence Preserve
In 2010, the Wildish Sand and Gravel Company sold its 1,305-acre property at the base of Mount Pisgah to The Nature Conservancy for $23.4 million. The property was then renamed as the Willamette Confluence Preserve. As this section of land had been used for gravel extraction, it took over a decade for The Nature Conservancy to restore the native flora and fauna and ready it for controlled public access.In 2023, The Nature Conservancy transferred stewardship of the preserve to the McKenzie River Trust for future conservation.