Ridgeline Trail Project

Building Community. Shaping the future of Cottage Grove

Friends of Mt. David is leading an effort to save and further develop the Ridgeline Trail atop Mt. David. Our proposed trail route encompasses the Mt. David Ridgeline. It features two loops, numerous access points, natural and cultural sites and historically significant, panoramic views of Cottage Grove.

Friends of Mt. David successfully negotiated a formal agreement with Todd Alberts, the developer of SunRise Ridge for access to the trail. We have submitted our proposal to Ross Murry, the developer of Emerald Heights, the property adjacent directly to the east of SunRise Ridge. Click here to see the details of our proposal.

(click on image for a much larger view)

Details of the Mt. David Ridgeline Trail

Key:

1. Tracts G&H. Todd Alberts, the developer of the neighboring property, Sunrise Ridge, agreed to provide access to a future ridgeline trail through these tracts. Specifically the agreement states in section 12E: "Developer shall provide an access point to any future ridgeline trail at a point in Tract G or H that is acceptable to the developer." This access point would also have parking.
   
   
2. This is the site of Reverend Olson's oil well. This story is well known here in Cottage Grove. Mr. Olson came to town in the 1920s and convinced a good many residents that there was oil atop Mt. David. He raised nearly $23,000, constructed a derrick then left town with everyone's money. The derrick can be seen in the background of several scenes from the Buster Keaton movie The General, which was shot in and around Cottage Grove in 1920s. The oil well is still there. An artifact of the operation, a drilling plug, was recently found and is on display in our museum.
   
   
3. Access to this ridgeline is steep. An alternative, less steep access trail could be routed through the north side of Mt. David, above Holly Avenue.
   
   
4. Parking on Holly Avenue. The Hidden Valley Homeowners Association owns an empty lot suitable for parking and they have indicated a willingness to grant access to this property for parking as long as the lot does not detract from the entrance to their subdivision.
   
   
5. Pioneer Cemetery – This cemetery dates back to the founding of Cottage Grove. Our Historical Society has just received a $3,000 grant from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries to improve this site. This would make an excellent trailhead access point, with limited parking available now, and future parking across the street on Holly Avenue.
   
   
6. Historic vistas and sacred rocks. Numerous photos of Cottage Grove have been taken from this area throughout the years. Plaques would show those photos through the years so visitors could see the progression of growth of Cottage Grove and compare them with the view today. The sacred rocks refer to specific sites on Mt. David that are still used by the Kalapuya today in ceremonies. A plaque discussing the importance of Mt. David to the Kalapuya and a description of their lives in the area would be located along this stretch of trail, which provides access to the most scenic views of Cottage Grove.
   
   
7. H St. access. This would be a pedestrian only access point. It's steep and would require a switchback. This area is still heavily treed and would provide a short, wooded access point to the Ridgeline Trail.
   
   
8. L St access. This is the traditional pedestrian access to the ridgeline. The trail has been used for years and is well worn. It is not too steep. This would be a pedestrian only access point.
   
   
9. M St. access. This is the main entrance into Sunrise Ridge and provides a planned thoroughfare over Mt. David connecting with the north side along Holly Avenue. It will be developed to collector street standards and have sidewalks on both sides. This will provide access to the 3 acre park (see item 10), the drainage swale (see item 11) and the ridgeline itself via sidewalk. It will also provide vehicular access along public roads to parking at the top.
   
   
10. 3 acre park. This parcel will be developed into a 3 acre park as part of Sunrise Ridge's open space requirement. As public park it will provide an excellent linkage through the drainage swale (see item 11) to the Ridgeline Trail.
    
    
11. Landscaped drainage swale (tracts C,D,E,&F). This drainage swale will be landscaped and developed with the intent of providing a walkable trail within Sunrise Ridge. This trail would be linked to the trail via tracts G & H, providing the walking trail from the 3-acre park (item 10) to the top of the Ridgeline Trail.
    
    
12. Water tower. A water tower will be constructed in conjunction with phase2 to accommodate all buildings over the 740 foot elevation. This could also be a possible parking site.
    
    
13. Emergency vehicle turnaround – another possible parking site at or near the top of the ridgeline.

Highlights and Features of the Mt. David Ridgeline Trail

• The trail is linked to the Row River Trailhead in town. Visitors could walk from that trail down Main St., across the Centennial Bridge, down River Road, cross at Holly and access the Pioneer Cemetery and the rest of the trail.
  
  
• Trail has multiple access points and features two complete loops.
  
  
• Trail would be maintained by an Adopt-a-Trail system.
  
  
• Trail would be an amenity to SunRise Ridge, Emerald Heights, the Northwest Neighborhood and Cottage Grove.
  
  
• Mr. Alberts has given support to this idea and granted access to the trail through his subdivision and will likely be amenable to granting an easement through the portion of his property that extends beyond the Urban Growth Boundary into the county.
  
  
• This trail has wide-spread, solid community support among our elected officials, various community groups and numerous individual members of the community.