Stukel Mountain
Seasons
Checklists
Location
Drive from Klamath Falls via highway 39 and watch for Dehlinger Lane. Take it to Hill Road and turn north watching for a gravel pit on the east side of the road. Drive through the gravel pit and stay on the road that takes you through it. This used to be the road that would take you up to the summit area of Stukel Mtn. Recent closures have changed this route. There is now a gate that blocks the road. The road that bypasses the blockage is about 2.3 miles up from the orange gate as you leave the quarry and start up the mountain. It is newly graveled (for a little ways) and goes off to the left. It is about a mile long and then cuts back over to the original road. You just have to make a mental note and “landmark” it so you remember to turn off to the right on the way back down. Nothing is signed but the gravel helps-it’s the only one that has new gravel (or maybe any gravel).
At 4.1 miles from the orange gate, look for a road that goes off to the east. This will take you to Aspen Pond. The road is rough but this location has produced Virginia Warbler.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
Check for Bank and N. Rough-winged Swallows in the quarry before you reach the BLM gate. The surrounding sage habitat is good for sage species like Sage Thrasher and Brewer’s Sparrow. As you enter the wooded regions, check the mountain mahogany for Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Gray Flycatchers and Ash-throated Flycatchers can be found in the junipers and look for Pygmy Nuthatches in the pines. As you gain elevation, you will find Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Cassin’s Finches. The most famous bird from this location was a Black-chinned Sparrow in 1990 and Black-throated Sparrow has been found here as well.
At Aspen Pond there is a good aspen grove that might produce a Red-naped Sapsucker or other woodpeckers. Near the top, check the hummingbirds for the odd Broad-tailed Hummer and keep an eye out for species like Chukar, Rock Wren, Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, Fox Sparrow, and Lewis’s Woodpecker.
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