Applegate Trail 01: Jenny Creek Slide
Take the Jenny Creek road ( from Ashland, turn left at about Highway 66 mile marker 25.5) and drive about 1 mile to the second small red dirt road to the left. The Slide is to the west of this road. Drive to the gate and walk down the road, which leads to several large gravel piles, to a smaller road/trail turning to the right before the gravel piles. About ¼ mile down this small road you will come to a draw and may see wagon tracks crossing it. Go left down this small draw on a foot trail along a small waterway until the trees thin out on a bench area. You will have to detour around some fallen logs but there is a foot trail. From the grassy bench area, you will be able to see Jenny Creek and the pond that Box R Ranch has made on Jenny Creek. The marker is to the right of this clearing near a juniper with rope marks. Use a GPS device!!!!!
The marker inscription reads: HISTORIC APPLEGATE TRAIL 1846 – 1869
← “JENNY CREEK WAGON SLIDE” →
Southern Oregon Historical Society 1976
The marker is positioned parallel to the trail and the arrows point along the trail
From Mark Lawrence: Marker #1 is located at the Jenny Creek Wagon Slide which was also used by the Bicentennial Wagon Train of 1976. Examination of the terrain above and below this point indicates that this was the most feasible place to slide the wagons down to the Jenny Creek Ford. Wagon Master George McUne thinks it is possible that the Applegate party may have used a slightly more winding route of less grade which now has trees in it. If so, the marker still marks the head of either route where it stands by the tree blazed in 1976. It is about ¾ mile southwest of the maker placed by Devere Helfrich on the Moon Prairie Road. The Helfrich marker is approximately l-1/2 miles north on the Moon Prairie Road from Highway 66 and on the right side of the road. This marker is in Klamath County.
Clarification: The Helfrich marker is at G.P.S. coordinates N 42 degrees 8’ 24.5” and W 122 degrees 20’ 0.3”. The “Moon Prairie Road” is now signed as the Jenny Creek Road. The marker is 1.4 miles from Highway 66 and has had the metal plaque with the inscription removed by vandals.