WHERE: From Gold beach take highway 33 east (jerry's flat road) to Oak flat road on the right. Drive down Oak flat road to Oak flat campground on the left (I forget the exact distance but it was less than 10 miles). The road turns to gravel and heads down to toward the river right after the primitive campground. There were not signs identifying the campground but there is a trail marker.
THE TRAIL: I did this hike in early April 2008. The first 2.5 miles traverse past several creeks through forests of Douglass Fir, Hemlock and Cedar (intermixed with Jeffrey and Ponderosa Pine) and some Alder, Maple, Madrone and Oak. The Port Orford Cedar is currently being destroyed by the fungal pathogen, Phytophthora lateralis.
At 2.5 miles you reach Buzzard's Roost which offers a nice veiw of the Illinois valley. As you approach the viewpoint the the effects of the Biscuit burn become apparent. After another 1 1/2 miles you reach Indigo creek and a meadow just beyond the trail junction to the bridge crossing the creek. I saw two large blacktail deer in the meadow. The Biscuit burn is less evident in spots that are sheltered near the river level as there is more moisture in the soil and trees. In fact there is a lot of evidence that the fire was a ground fire due to the black marks on the tree trunks (while the tops still had needles) thus validating the reason why the fire had less impact on wetter soils that were not dried as much by the sun. After Buzzard's Roost there were a lot of downed trees. Another major concern was poison oak and rattlesnakes. Poison oak is all along the trail and almost impossible to avoid. I wore shorts on day one and payed the price resulting in a rash over much of my body due to contact with my pack and touching clothing hat rubbed against this most annoying plant. I also stepped within 5 feet of a rattlesnake before it gave its warning. It was only a foot from the trail and another step or two would have got me in striking distance with no medicine to heal myself.
About 1.5 miles after crossing Indigo creek the trail will pass Franz Ranch. The ranch is about 100 feet off the trail with a footpath leading to it. There is a cabin and old machinery that the forest service has left in place. It is an interesting history lesson about the mechanics of lawnmowers and plows made over 50 years ago. The cabin still has old tools inside of it. After the ranch you passs through the most diverse forests yet with Jeffey Pine (and/or Ponderosa Pine, it is hard to tell the difference), Western White Pine, Sugar pine, Tan Oak, Madrone, Douglass Fir (of course), Incense Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Laurel, Live Oak, Vine maple, Pacific Yew, Western Hemlock, knobcone Pine and probably other tree species I could not identify. It was kind of weird seeing so many species of deciduous evergreens. About 1.5 miles after the Franz ranch I entered the wilderness area. Conner's place is a flat camp area still away from the rive but it was well covered with forest. Another half mile or so you cross Silver creek and there is a nice area to camp (not an official campsite) with a nice view of the Silver Creek valley as well as the Illinois River Canyon.
Wildlife signs were predominant although I saw little except deer, a rattlesnake, lots of squirells and a buzzard circling over me at Buzzard's Roost (yes there actually was a buzzard flying over me there). There were many Bear and Cougar tracks, marks and scat. I didn't see anyone on the trail after 2 miles. There was a group of 15 or so people studying the amazing array of botany by Buzzards Roost.