Bald Hill is a hill in the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, the ...

west of

Corvallis, Oregon Corvallis ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Oregon, Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton Co ...

. With an elevation of and a top clear of tree cover, Bald Hill is a popular local hiking destination and lookout, with Corvallis, Mary's Peak, the Coastal Range, and the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

foothills all visible from atop the hill. Bald Hill is part of the Bald Hill Natural Area, a park that contains of trails through

oak savanna An oak savanna is a type of savanna (or lightly forested grassland), where oaks (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. It is also generally characterized by an understory that is lush with grass and herb-related plants. The terms "oakery" or ...

remnants and denser forest which are managed to provide habitat for endemic plant species and wildlife.

Geography

Bald Hill is located at the western edge of the Willamette Valley, where it meets the

Oregon Coast Range The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic region, in the United States, U.S. state of Or ...

. South of the

Cardwell Hills The Cardwell Hills are a mountain range in Benton County, Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Ore ...

, Bald Hill is separated from the

foothills Foothills or piedmont are geography, geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an highland, upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low terrain, relief hill ...

of the Coastal Range by Oak Creek and Mulkey Creek.

History

The Bald Hill Natural Area was purchased by the Greenbelt Land Trust in 1990 and turned over to the City of Corvallis in 1993. In 2013, the land trust bought the neighboring Bald Hill Farm, and additional trail connections were added between Bald Hill and nearby parks.

References

{{Reflist Mountains of the Oregon Coast Range Landmarks in Oregon Landforms of Benton County, Oregon Corvallis, Oregon Willamette Valley Municipal parks in Oregon Hills of Oregon