Eugene - Skinner Butte

There is a lot more to Eugene than the University of Oregon. The city is at the upper reaches of navigability for the Willamette River, which perhaps explains some of its prosperity during the river steamboat era of the late 19th century, although the steamboats only reached this far upstream when the Willamette was running high. Both the city and its downtown geographic landmark, Skinner Butte, are named for the city's founder, Eugene Skinner. When the University of Oregon arrived in the late 1870's the city's future prosperity was set. This walk starts at the north end of downtown Eugene, which is on the south flanks of Skinner Butte, goes up and over the hill, and then returns to the starting point along the Willamette River, using part of the city's excellent pedestrian and bicycle pathway system. The walk is 2.5 miles long, and includes a steep uphill and downhill section on Skinner Butte.

Our walk starts at the Oregon Electric Station, on Fifth Avenue at the north end of downtown Eugene.  Now a restaurant, the station was built in 1914 as the southern terminus of the Oregon Electric Railway, controlled by the Great Northern Railway of James J. Hill. Passenger service ceased in 1933, the line was dieselized in the 1940's, and the remains of the Oregon Electric, now controlled by a short-line railway, end operations a few miles to the north. The tracks behind the station actually belong to the Union Pacific Railway west coast main line (formerly the Southern Pacific Railway). Amtrak passenger service uses a smaller station behind this building.

From the Electric Station start east down Fifth Avenue. On your left is an attractive brick building, and at the corner of Fifth and Pearl Street is the flagship restaurant/tasting room of the Steelhead Brewing Company. Eugene is home to a number of microbreweries, but this was the first, established in 1991.

Turn left at Pearl Street. Soon you will cross over this railroad track, which constitutes the old Southern Pacific Main Line (now owned by Union Pacific) along the length of the Pacific Coast. This track sees numerous freight trains as well as the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Seattle to Southern California.

After crossing the railroad tracks, turn left onto Shelton-McMurphey Avenue. The first building on the right, which you have undoubtedly already noticed from afar is Ya-po-ah Terrace, an 18-story 222 foot-tall senior housing complex, with over 200 dwelling units. Constructed in 1968, it is the tallest building in Eugene, in part because the city leaders enacted building height restrictions in reaction to controversy surrounding its construction. The project provides rental subsidies to make its units affordable to seniors with modest incomes. After passing the tower you will see community gardens for the Ya-po-ah Terrace residents.

Continue beyond the community gardens and on the right is the Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson  House. This imposing Queen Anne-style structure was completed in 1888, and since 1987 has operated as an historic museum. The home was apparently even more prominent in its early days without the large trees that have grown around it in recent decades (I would guess that Skinner Butte, along with much of the rest of Oregon, was clear-cut at one point in its history).

UPDATE: I recently found this drawing from a card sent to me a few years ago - purporting to show the Shelton-McMurphey house in 1890. Sure enough, Skinner Butte in the background is devoid of trees!

Continuing on Shelton-McMurphey Drive, beyond the historic house, you will see this stairway leading up the hill. This is the entrance to Skinner Butte Park. Continue up the stairway.

The trail up the hill makes a couple of switchbacks and intersects with a roadway leading to the top of the hill. Follow the trail markers leading to the Skinner Butte summit, not the roadway.

You will be near the top of Skinner Butte, which rises approximately 200 feet above the surrounding terrain, when you see this large American flag through the trees. The flag and its pole are a fairly recent addition to Skinner Butte. They replaced a 51-foot tall cross which adorned the top of the hill from 1964 to 1997, but was controversially removed and placed on the campus of a local bible college. The butte is also home to a large "O" on the side of the hill celebrating the University of Oregon. When you intersect the road leading to the summit parking lot, take a right.

The summit of Skinner Butte has viewpoints to enjoy the panorama of the surrounding community. To the south is downtown Eugene and the South Eugene hills beyond. The view to the east includes, on a clear day, the Cascades. Closer in one can see the University of Oregon campus, Autzen Stadium (home of the Ducks football team), and the Willamette River snaking upstream.

Once you've enjoyed the views at the top  of Skinner Butte, head back down the hill, this time on its north side, toward the Willamette River. The trail marker for the trail heading down the north side is across a hairpin turn on the roadway from the point where the trail heading up the south side intersected with the summit roadway.

The trail down the north side of Skinner Butte makes several switchbacks. Follow the markers that lead down to the Willamette River. Eventually you will see Cheshire Avenue. Cross the street.

Once you cross the street, look for the Lamb Cottage, with the river beyond, and walk down the stairs leading to the cottage. The cottage was built in the 1920's as comfort station and general store for campers along the river. Today it is owned by the City of Eugene, and is available for event rentals.

To the right of Lamb Cottage is an area that appears to be a standard grassy lawn. However, the City of Eugene has placed interpretive displays on two sides of the lawn indicating that is area is being actively restored as a natural prairie area. Either the project hasn't gotten very far, or a natural prairie looks an awful lot like a grass lawn.

Continue to the Willamette River, and this wide, paved path that runs along it. It is part of an extensive network of biking and walking paths along the Willamette River, for which Eugene has become well-known. Follow the path along the river to the right (upstream). In a couple of places the pathway branches - always keep to the path on the left, closer to the river.

After a long walk along the river you will eventually pass the Campbell Adult Recreation Center on the right. This building houses recreational programs and activities for Eugene's Senior population.

Meanwhile, on the left, the Willamette River exhibits some rapid currents at certain times of year. It's hard to imagine steamboats reaching to this point along the river back in the 19th century. A few miles downstream the river is joined by its major tributary, the McKenzie, while a few miles upstream the river splits into its main stem and a "coast fork."

After going under the busy Ferry Street bridge across the Willamette you will come to this much quieter crossing, the Peter DeFazio pedestrian bridge. This bridge, finished in 2000, was named for Eugene's long time congressman, a feisty "progressive" Democrat. Keep along the river and go under the bridge.

Continuing along the banks of the Willamette, soon you will come to the headquarters of the Eugene Water and Electric Board, known as EWEB. EWEB is a publicly owned utility, formed in 1911 in response to a typhoid epidemic traced to the water supplied by a private, for-profit water company. Within a few years EWEB bought out the local electric company too, and became a full public utility. EWEB has big plans for this stretch of riverfront, which until recently also housed the utility's maintenance facilities. Once you get to the building's central plaza/gathering area, turn right and go under the sky bridge connecting the two halves of the building.

Next follow the walkway underneath Ferry Street again, and you will find yourself along the west side of Fourth Avenue, heading back into downtown Eugene. Turn left at High Street and proceed one block. At the corner of Fifth and High, on the left, is the Fifth Street Public Market. Begun as a poultry market in 1929, the market reopened in 1976 and has been progressively upscaled into the almost-fashionable place it is today.

Cross Fifth Avenue and enter into the market itself. The interior is very attractive, with shops and eateries. The Inn at Fifth Avenue was recently built on the same block, completing its transformation into a top destination.


After leaving the Fifth Street market, continue west on Fifth Street, passing the Steelhead Brewery again (and maybe stopping for a mug of great beer) and then continuing back to the walk starting point at the Oregon Electric Railway Station.