About this place

The Switchbacks Trailhead provides access to the OC&E Trail and Devil?s Garden. The OC&E Trail is a 109 mile long Rail to Trail that travels from Klamath Falls, OR to Bly with a secondary Woods Line section that travels north to the Sycan Marsh. The trail is open to non-motorized users and much of it can be accessed year round. Original construction plans for the OC&E Railine called for a tunnel through Bly Mountain but funds ran short, and crews instead built what was to be a temporary double switchback over the hill. This switchback was the last of its kind in the U.S., operating until the rail line shut down in 1990. Devils Garden is a hydroclastic volcano, where the magma erupted in water and cooled in blobs and pillow breccias. A heavy dose of Mount Mazama ash was deposited 7,700 years ago to make walking easy along dune-like pyroclastic ridges. Small windows and breccia formations, along with bonsai-like junipers and ponderosas, allow for a fascinating exploration. There are no designated trails in this area and motorized vehicles of all sizes are prohibited. The Switchbacks Trailhead is located approximately 45 minutes east of Klamath Falls, OR on Highway 140. From Klamath Falls travel 21.8 miles east on Highway 140 to Bliss Road. Turn left (north) on Bliss Road and travel 11.8 miles to Forest Service Road 22. Turn Left on Forest Road 22 and travel 300 feet to the Trailhead.