Pre's Trail

Last updated
Pre's Trail
PresTrail.jpg
Pre's Trail during a cross country race in 2005
Length 3.4 mi (5.5 km)
Trailheads Eugene, Oregon
Use Running, walking
Hiking details
Season Year round

Pre's Trail, located on the north side of the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon, United States, popularly referred to as "Track Town USA", is a four-mile-long running and walking trail named after heralded University of Oregon athlete Steve Prefontaine. [1] The woodchip-and-bark trail features riparian scenery, including grasslands, duck ponds, and woods, as well as guide signs with trail maps at each of three primary trailheads. Near downtown Eugene, in Alton Baker Park, Pre's Trail is part of an extensive network of running trails in and around the university town and neighboring Springfield.

Willamette River major river in northwest Oregon

The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is 187 miles (301 km) long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward between the Oregon Coast Range and the Cascade Range, the river and its tributaries form the Willamette Valley, a basin that contains two-thirds of Oregon's population, including the state capital, Salem, and the state's largest city, Portland, which surrounds the Willamette's mouth at the Columbia.

Eugene, Oregon City in Oregon, United States

Eugene is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is at the southern end of the verdant Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers, about 50 miles (80 km) east of the Oregon Coast.

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Contents

History

Pre's Trail during the fall 2017-11-25 Alton Baker Park.jpg
Pre's Trail during the fall

Steve Prefontaine, or "Pre," was impressed with the style and terrain of European cross country running courses while competing overseas. Upon return from Europe, he suggested to local officials about building a running trail through Eugene's Alton Baker Park. Lane County worked with the Oregon Track Club and University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman to design and build Pre's Trail. Within four months of Pre's death in an auto accident in 1975, the new trail served as venue to a memorial race of approximately five hundred participants in his honor.

Steve Prefontaine United States long-distance runner

Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Prefontaine set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters, as he prepared for the 1976 Olympics. Prefontaine's career, alongside those of Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and Bill Rodgers, generated considerable media coverage, which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom." Prefontaine's celebrity and charisma resulted in two 1990s feature films about his life. He died at age 24 in an automobile accident near his residence in Eugene, Oregon. One of the premier track meets in the world, the Prefontaine Classic, is held annually in Eugene in his honor.

Europe Continent in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia.

Cross country running sport in which competitors race by running a long-distance course on natural terrain

Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. Sometimes the runners are referred to as harriers (dogs). The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass, and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.

Situated to the north of, and across the Willamette River from, the University of Oregon, Pre's Trail is enjoyed by a variety of recreational users in Eugene's urban core. The venue is often the site of cross country competitions staged by local schools, including Sheldon High (which trains on the trail throughout their Cross Country season), colleges and running clubs. Additionally, a significant portion of the Eugene Marathon is on Pre's Trail.

The Eugene Marathon, is a marathon established in 2007, which takes place in Eugene, Oregon. The main event, accompanied by a half marathon, 5K and kids run, became in 2007 the first major marathon to be held in Eugene since 1984, when the last Nike OTC Marathon was staged. The Eugene Marathon traverses the regulation 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon distance, and is certified by USA Track and Field, the sport's governing body in the US. Nearly 5000 entrants participated in the inaugural 2007 marathon events, which featured about thirty elite athletes, many of whom were shooting for qualifying marks for the US Olympic Trials, which were held in New York City in November.

A significant portion of Pre's Trail is located on the site of the Day Island Landfill Environmental Cleanup Site. Used as a dump from 1963 - 1974, the site is classified by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as a "suspect site requiring further investigation." Contamination has been documented by the DEQ in ground and surface water in adjacent waterways although no timeline has been created for clean up.

A chemical disposal area is located southeast of the radio station well. The Oregon DEQ website provides more detailed information about this hazardous site here.

Route

Interpretive sign and map of Pre's Trail in eastern part of Alton Baker Park PresTrailSign.JPG
Interpretive sign and map of Pre's Trail in eastern part of Alton Baker Park

Pre's Trail undulates mildly on a typically flat river isle, and features large sections entirely covered by wood chips, with some single track dirt trail, gravel sections, and a short swath of asphalt on the Big Loop.

There are three main loops, with interlinking paths:

Access

Pre's Trail is located off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, near Autzen Stadium.

Autzen Stadium

Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in the northwest United States, in Eugene, Oregon. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12 Conference. Opened 52 years ago in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions. The official capacity is 54,000. However, attendance at the stadium regularly exceeds 54,000.

Pre's trail lies within Alton Baker Park, and is accessible from parking lots at three trailhead entrances at each of the three main loops. There are two footbridges, providing access from the University of Oregon campus, located just across the Willamette River. From campus, the Center Loop can be accessed via the Frohnmayer Footbridge (south of Autzen Stadium, half a block north of Franklin and Agate Streets), and to the southeastern Big Loop via the Knickerbocker Footbridge (near Franklin and Riverview Streets).

See also

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Skinner Butte

Skinner Butte is a prominent hill on the north edge of downtown Eugene, Oregon, United States, near the Willamette River. Skinner Butte is a local landmark and the location of Skinner Butte Park, a municipal park. It is named after Eugene Skinner, the founder of Eugene. During the latter 20th century, it was the location of a cross which was removed in 1997.

Alton Baker Park park in Oregon, United States

Alton Baker Park is located in Eugene, Oregon, United States, near Autzen Stadium. It was named for Register-Guard founder Alton F. Baker, Sr. It features duck ponds, bicycle trails, a dog park and a disc golf course, and directly touches the Ferry Street Bridge across the Willamette River.

Hayward Field track and field stadium, located in the northwest United States in Eugene, Oregon

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Prefontaine Classic athletics tournament held in Oregon, United States

The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.

The Duck Store

The Duck Store is the bookstore for the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is a not-for-profit corporation governed by an elected Board of Directors composed mostly of students. It is independent of the University of Oregon as the UO does not own or operate any retail stores and has no role in the management or operation of the Bookstore or receive any profits. It serves primarily students, faculty, staff and alumni of the University of Oregon. The main store across the street of the UO campus is divided into five departments:

Springwater Corridor

The Springwater Corridor Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian rail trail in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It follows a former railway line from Boring through Gresham to Portland, where it ends south of the Eastbank Esplanade. Most of the corridor, about 21 miles (34 km) long, consists of paved, off-street trail, though about 1 mile (1.6 km) overlaps city streets in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood. A large segment roughly follows the course of Johnson Creek and crosses it on bridges many times. Much of the corridor was acquired by the City of Portland in 1990; remaining segments were acquired by Metro thereafter.

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Elijah Bristow State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It has more than 10 miles (16 km) of well-maintained trails along ponds, wetlands, meadows, and the Middle Fork Willamette River, and through forests of broadleaf and evergreen trees. The trails are open to horses, hikers, and mountain bikers, and there is a separate equestrian staging area popular with riding clubs.

Eugene Science Center Science Museum in Eugene, Oregon

The Eugene Science Center, located in Alton Baker Park in Eugene, Oregon, United States, is a science and technology center for children, families, and school groups. The 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) museum near Autzen Stadium features changing interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, camp programs, special events and other science and technology-related education programs. Eugene Science Center is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. Its mission is: "To engage children, excite their curiosity, inspire them toward a lifetime love of science, and empower them to use science and technology to improve their communities." Eugene Science Center is the only science museum in Lane County and surrounding counties.

Prefontaine is a surname of French-Canadian origin.

Oregon Ducks track and field

The Oregon Ducks track and field program is the intercollegiate track and field team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The team participates in indoor and outdoor track and field as well as cross country. Known as the Ducks, Oregon's first track and field team was fielded in 1895. The team holds its home meets at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Robert Johnson is the current head coach and since the program's inception in 1895, there have only been seven permanent head coaches. The Ducks claim 31 NCAA National Championships among the three disciplines.

Willamette Valley valley in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States

The Willamette Valley is a 150-mile (240 km) long valley in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley, and it is surrounded by mountains on three sides – the Cascade Range to the east, the Oregon Coast Range to the west, and the Calapooya Mountains to the south. It forms the cultural and political heart of Oregon, and is home to approximately 70 percent of its population including its six largest cities: Portland, Eugene, Salem, the state capital, and the cities of Gresham, Hillsboro and Beaverton in the Portland metropolitan area. Eight of Oregon's ten – and 16 of its 20 – largest cities are located in the Willamette Valley.

Football teams at the University of Oregon have played home games at six sites since the team was founded in 1894, five in Eugene and one in Portland. Oregon has not had an on-campus football stadium since 1966.

Dave and Lynn Frohnmayer Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge bridge in United States of America

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Fall Creek (Middle Fork Willamette River)

Fall Creek is a 34-mile (55 km) tributary of the Middle Fork Willamette River in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning in the Cascade Range, the creek flows generally west through the Willamette National Forest to enter the Middle Fork upstream of Jasper, southeast of Springfield and Eugene.

Coryell Pass

Coryell Pass is a gap located near Eugene in Lane County, Oregon, United States, near the confluence of the Coast Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette River. The gap is formed by the river between Eugene's South Hills and Springfield's Quarry Butte. The pass is commemorated by a brass marker located on Franklin Boulevard, on what was formerly the route of Pacific Highway. The marker, which was placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), reads "Coryell Pass, Oregon Trail, 1846, Erected by Oregon Lewis and Clark Chapter D.A.R., 1917". The pass was on the southern route of the Oregon Trail blazed by Jesse Applegate and known as the Applegate Trail.

Wildwood Falls

Wildwood Falls, also known as Row River Falls, is a waterfall located on the west skirt of the Umpqua National Forest, in Lane County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area on the west foothills where Willamette National Forest meets with the Umpqua National Forest.

References

  1. "Pre's Trail". eugene-or.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-18.

Coordinates: 44°03′04″N123°03′54″W / 44.051°N 123.065°W / 44.051; -123.065