Great hike not really for kids. Long beautiful and worth it!!
★
★
★
★
★
Hiked 10/4/24, with heavy rain for most of the hike. I set out aroud 8:00 am and finished close to 12:00 pm. The rain didn't cause any issues, but it also hadn't rained in at least a week so not sure how muddy it may get once rainy season fully begins. The full loop was open so it was longer than 6.5 miles. Of note, the last mile and a half of the trail is a road (with very little traffic). A really beautiful and rewarding hike.
★
★
★
★
★
Shady most of the way with occasional vistas of the Gorge. Windy on top. The Doggy Point is the common stop near the top but it's not the actual summit. The door trail to the highest point is overgrown and mostly difficult going. Nothing to see due to brush.
We hiked on a hot day (low to mid 90s), got a layer start (9:30), and we nervous about the southern exposure. Our fears were needless as the trees kept us shady on the way up and down and the wind at the top kept us cool.
★
★
★
★
★
Convenient to Portland with easy access. Popular route with lots of people. Well maintained and shady.
★
★
★
Convenient to Portland with easy access. Popular route with lots of people. Well maintained and shady.
★
★
★
Convenient to Portland with easy access. Popular route with lots of people. Well maintained and shady.
★
★
★
Convenient to Portland with easy access. Popular route with lots of people. Well maintained and shady.
★
★
★
It’s a difficult hike and the trail is pretty tough in places. Once you get past the waterfalls the crowds thin out. Following the streams you steadily rise 4000 ft in 6.7 miles. We stopped 2 miles short of the summit for the time.
★
★
★
★
busy!!! short mileage and overcrowded. a bit muddy still in May, a given as you approach the waterfall pool that you hike toward. nice seclusion if you venture off down to the flowing water away from the trail. the road less-traveled on this hike became the most fun :)
★
★
★
Overall, the trail was in good shape. It's easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency as you meander through the lovely, softly rolling hills of the PCT; that is until you hit heartbreak ridge. Then you see why this hike gets rated as difficult :). It is not the most difficult, but you should definitely be comfortable on insecure terrain, at least for the Table Mountain section, regardless of the route you take up or down. Other than that, I can't believe it took me so long to come try out this hike!
★
★
★
★
★
Steep but gorgeous. The wildflowers on 4/17/24 we stunning:lupine, balsam root, wild cucumber, and a bunch of other tiny pretty things. The poison oak is all leafed out so be cautious of that and now what to look for. Highly recommend this hike
★
★
★
★
★
Nice gradual hike with beautiful views of snow covered trees and hills in the gorge. Plenty of parking at the trailhead.
★
★
★
★
Followed Archer Creek. Near the falls I found a pair of prescription sunglasses. They are hanging at the High Valley trailhead
★
★
★
Cool and windy. The clear sky and sun tried to come out off and on while I was on the summit of Dog Mountain. Below 2500 feet there were no clouds but at the top sometimes it was quite dense. The trail is in good repair even with the rains and the top is not muddy But just a little damp I spent 15 minutes alone at the summit and then met 8 to 10 people on my way down. The parking lot had a dozen cars at 11:30.
★
★
★
★
★
No trees left. Slippery and steep in mud. If anything cross bridge and hike wacauna viewpoint :/. Sad
★
★
A few improvements sense my last visit. Brought the wife this time. An enjoyable afternoon.
★
★
★
★
**TRAIL CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**
You can walk along the gorge 400 trail all the way up to the ascent of munra, but right once you get to the trail it will show a trail closed sign
★
Took my two little dogs on this hike- trails were well maintained. Absolutely beautiful flowers along the trail and the viewpoint at the top is a great reward for the climb. Trail was pretty quiet (11am Sunday)on way up, which was nice because trail is pretty narrow in parts. Only slight downside to this trail is ability to hear traffic from Hwy 14 for majority of ascent to viewpoint.
★
★
★
★
Absolutely fantastic! So characteristic of the Pacific NW!
★
★
★
★
★
stars
Chatfield Hill had great views and okay flowers. The flowers at Marsh Hill were stunning. Hiked mid-May. Poison oak was prevalent.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
Personally prefer the flowers and views up McCall Point, but this is an easier and still lovely hike. Great variety of flowers and plants.
★
★
★
★
stars
Hiked here on Friday, May 12. The balsamroot and lupine were peaking or just past the peak. Very busy trail and trailhead.
★
★
★
★
★
Love Beacon Rock State Park. Various places on the trail are some of my favorites in the Gorge.
★
★
★
★
Love Beacon Rock State Park. Various places on the trail are some of my favorites in the Gorge.
★
★
★
★
Loved all the wild flowers (went in early spring) there was a big patch of Oregon Sunflowers and lost of other flowers. Great views of the Columbia River. Lots of poison oak to watch out for in the beginning part of the trail.
★
★
★
★
★
The trail has many charred trees, sporadic down trees & snow about about 2,500 feet as of 4/22/23. Post holed above 3,000 but was able to summit. Experienced rockfall at about 2,000 feet on the way down. They hurled down the hillside and probably fell 1,000 feet. One microwave size rock & one that was slightly larger than a basketball. We missed them by about 30 seconds on the trail. There was evidence of other recent rock slides as well. Saw only one other small group on the trail. Nice views of the gorge on the way down.
★
★
★
Always a challenge but todays clouds and cold north wind dropped the hike from a 5 to a 4
★
★
★
★
Fairly intense climb and descent. Saw several inches of snow, proud of the view from devils rest. Angels rest view is much larger with zero snow.
★
★
★
★
★
There was a little bit of snow at the top going around the rocks. This was easily managed with a little care. Polls would help.
A very nice day on dog mountain. With a little bit of snow at the top, there was no mud, no bugs, and no wind. On a Wednesday I was the first one in the parking lot. 30 hikers were coming up the trail as I returned to the trail head. Parking lot was about 1/3 full.
★
★
★
★
Trail was only very slightly muddy. The barren hills and trees this time of year make it feel like you are on a fantasy adventure. Recommend to always keep an eye on the map if you're new to the area, as the trail multiplies every which way, signs are few and far between, and Atwood Road in particular snakes in and out of private property.
★
★
★
★
★
Trail was only very slightly muddy. The barren hills and trees this time of year make it feel like you are on a fantasy adventure. Recommend to always keep an eye on the map if you're new to the area, as the trail multiplies every which way, signs are few and far between, and Atwood Road in particular snakes in and out of private property.
★
★
★
★
★
One of my favorite trails in the gorge. Easy to get to, accesible year-round, with beautiful views at the top, and just the right distance and elevation gain for a moderate-level hike. It is long enough to feel like a good workout; short enough to casually do on a Sunday morning and still have a whole day ahead of you.
Best time to hike is in late fall / winter, as in the summertime it can get very busy.
★
★
★
★
★
Hiked on Sunday 2/12/23. Beautiful views on this popular hike on a windless bluebird morning. Most of the North facing trails still frozen but starting to melt after 10:00 AM. No serious ice like some of the trails (Multnomah Falls) close to water the prior weekend. Best to hike early as now the weekend traffic on this and other trails is fairly busy by 10:00 AM.
★
★
★
★
Difficult due to the rapid elevation gain. Trail itself is neither rocky or too many roots and no cliffs, but the incline is probably 20-25% in substantial portions and never really levels out. Many scenic gorge views. Beautiful.
★
★
★
★
★
After you leave dog mountain ausperger loop trail it becomes very lightly travelled and overgrown. Long pants recommended. Mostly in the shade the whole way. The views are all before dog mountain. Heavily forested second half and summit of ausperger in thick forest.
All in all a great hike for exercise, less for scenery.
★
★
★
★
Some BIG trees to look at. In burn recovery mode. View point at Devil’s Rest is …. lacking. Water falls and creeks are beautiful. Has one of the steepest walled canyons I’ve been in.
★
★
★
★
Great hike up to Pony tail falls because you get to go behind the falls, but the remaining part to Triple Falls was brutal on a hot day because all the tree cover had burned away as a result of the fire. Sad because I used to love all of this trail.
★
★
★
For me the hike was difficult but worth the up hill climb. Trailhead says 3.8 miles up. That’s the shortest route. I did 4 miles up and 4 down.
★
★
★
★
Tough but beautiful hike! Went counter clockwise. Overgrown on miles 2-3. Steep ledges with drop offs in certain areas, but not too precarious overall. Completed in just over 2 hours. Highly recommend!
★
★
★
★
★
Straight up. Straight down. Pass by a small waterfall early on the hike. Thimble berries in July. Great view from the top.
★
★
★
★
Trail was recently maintained and the area was open from a fire. Easy incline with a good waterfall at the end.
★
★
★
★
The trail is marked well, came upon 2-3 down trees easy to cross or walk under. The wildflowers were abundant!!! We saw a small bear 10 minutes into our walk from the parking lot.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
Did a double-dog today. Arrived at 8am and hiked up to the summit. Came back down, ate lunch at the picnic table and headed back up for a 2nd time. This hike is a great training hike.
★
★
★
★
★
The scenic lookout from atop Table Mountain is pretty awesome, but nothing else about this hike is particularly inspiring. You’ll park at the Bonneville Trailhead (WA side of the gorge), and the little trail there will hook up with the PCT. This section of the PCT is sort of tropical (which makes it kind of pretty) and very buggy, and black flies get more abundant and aggressive as you gain elevation.
The ascent to Table Mountain’s peak via Heartbreak ridge is brutal. Not just because of how steep it is (no surprise there), but because of how the black flies will swarm you. They fly in your ears, eyes, mouth and will bite you. they’re so numerous it’ll be easy to kill some of them and unintentionally smear the blood they’re carrying all over your arms, face, and legs. It’s torturous way to climb a mountain - with a face full of flies.
This is probably a 3 1/2 star hike when fly-free, but I simply can’t separate one from the other.
★
★
Beautiful flowers and Columbia River views. Going up is fine but going down is tough on legs. We arrived at the trail head at 8:20am on a Tuesday. There were plenty parkings.
★
★
★
★
Beautiful spring flowers out now. Lupines, and some pretty yellow flowers that i can’t identify.
And gorgeous weather to boot.
★
★
★
★
★
Quite a bit of snow for top mile. Recommend microspikes and poles due to about a foot of snow and some ice. Beautiful views with the snow. Very windy in places.
★
★
★
★
★
No one else on trail. A lot of snow on top and east side of loop. Recommend using west side for ascending and descending. Also bring microspikes.
★
★
★
★
stars
Hiked on a clear sky day in November and loved the hike. Great scenery and poison oak was still around, but not overhanging the trail.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
Not very busy due to poor weather, although the trail was more slush than ice, except near the falls where the spray iced over the trail and nearby vegetation. Icicles from rocks near walls, very scenic. Microspikes would be beneficial if the trail was icy.
★
★
★
★
★
I’ve done numerous hikes in the gorge, southern WA and Portland area and I thought this trail was one of the best.
★
★
★
★
★
This is an amazing Gorge hike, with sweeping views of Stevenson from high up. It is also popular so arrive early to get a parking space.
★
★
★
★
good , g hug b v but https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/07/23/report-packers-davante-adams-have-broken-off-contract-talks/ you gelato. mud my yet cb
★
★
★
★
★
very pretty waterfall, you can walk to top and bottom and see both.
★
★
★
★
stars
The toughest part was the first mile- good elevation gain- but not bad! Very pleasant, with wild berries and waterfalls everywhere. One of my favorites!
★
★
★
★
★
This park wasn’t my first choice. I ended up here because it was the only park that came up on my map as being close to where I started out. Overall this is a nice park for people who play disc golf or are there to get into the water. It is not a nice place to hike unless you only want to go less than a mile. After hiking every single path multiple times, I finally had a little over 5 miles and called it a day.
★
★
Amazing waterfall loop! Heavy traffic nearer to start and finish. Much less after a mile or so at either end. Incredible wildflowers at the time we went.
★
★
★
★
★
A bit busy at beginning and end so start early! Top section beautiful with flowers in early June.
★
★
★
★
Nice old growth could do loop but this was the best part actually went a bit further but did not turn on tracking until part way back
★
★
★
★
Track from the 424-425 junction high in Oneonta Canyon, down to Triple Falls. Lots of brush and down timber. One area needing drainage. One 50 yard section which has slid almost into the creek will need a lot of imaginative wirk
★
★
★
★
★
Bring your trekking pole(s). It is slippery and steep in parts. Heavily trafficked on the weekends.
★
★
★
★
★
This was a great hike, with great views. Into talk old pine growth to scrub oak. Zigzag trail, lots of up, down. Good heart pumper with restful flats
★
★
★
★
★
Excellent trail for views of the Columbia Gorge on a sunny day. Popular trail shared with mountain bikers.
★
★
★
★
★
Super full falls. Very popular hike since the parking lot was almost full on a Saturday morning at 8:15 am and the gate opened at 8 am. Everyone was super nice with or without a mask. Just happy to be outside no matter so a great day overall.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
I hiked this yesterday and it was very muddy. The first section of trail (upper portion) was really well built, like an unpaved sidewalk. The western portion of the loop closes today, due to peregrine nesting; I’m glad we got it yesterday. That section of trail is dramatically different than the rest. It is narrow, rocky and uneven and traverses some sketchy cliffs. I was sad to end up on that section in the dark; sketchy trails by headlamp are not much fun. Overall a good hike!
★
★
★
★
Great hike. Great view. Super crowded with like <40% of people actually wearing masks. And on top of that, someone broke in to a bunch of the cars at the trailhead while we were there. Glass everywhere. Some people suck.
★
★
★
★
Some very steep exposed sections. Many class 2 up and downhill trails. Be a fit hiker who doesn’t mind exposure and steepness to do this one
★
★
★
This gorge hike has it all! Decent views, forest, creek crossing, waterfalls and cool rock formations at the end. Gentle grade and a delightful hike
★
★
★
★
stars
Great hike. There are great views of the Gorge once you reach the top of the ridge. During the winter micro spikes and trekking poles are highly recommended.
★
★
★
★
stars
Overall great hike. The trail is in need of some maintenance and the bridge is washed out. If you like to adventure hike this is a good one.
★
★
★
Beautiful scenic bike ride through the historic gorge highway past vista house. Some tough climbing, including a steep gravel road to turn around that was pretty slick. Lots of spots to explore from small towns to state parks and scenic areas.
★
★
★
★
Decent views of the river but prolly wouldn’t drive out just for the hike. Pretty barren landscape out in the open.
★
★
★
Janet and Beau hiked on Labor Day. Beautiful as usual. Old Growth is spectacular.
★
★
★
★
★
Hiked on 8/8/20. Trailhead still closed. Started from Wyeth street. Gravel forest road. Then Off to the right, is a path that will get you to the trail. From car to split of loop is about 1.5miles or so. Clocked about 11 (23,000 steps anyway lol) miles RT. Did a lot of “lookouts”. I did the little peak and also climbed to the top of Indian point. Just be careful. Went right at the split. Took me 3.5hrs to get to “top”, including the 3100 peak. Could t get through the deadman part of loop. Trail is overgrown. But way overgrown there. Pretty views. The route back down was way less steep. Or more gradual anyway. Ran back to car. Took me an hour. Only saw 1 other person.
★
★
★
Ran this in August. Not the best time due to heat and sun. But the views are remarkable no matter the time of year!
★
★
★
★
Sherard point is probably the single best view point for pacific NW mountain viewing. This was a good, clear day and all mountain including Jefferson, Hood, Adams, Rainier and St.Helens were clear and beautiful.
★
★
★
★
★
This is a hike from the Herman Creek TH to the Dry Creek Falls via Herman Creek Trail, Herman Creek Bridge Trail, and PCT. Overall, the trails were in good conditions with some overgrown vegetation in a few spots. Not much views on the hike. The Dry Creek Falls were nice with a lot of water going over the top.
★
★
★
A nice path on the dike next to the Columbia River. Always a few birds to see (osprey, harrier, thrasher, robins, geese, ducks, swallows, purple martin,
Greeted with heavy showers for the first mile then cloudy skies with a breeze to dry us off!
★
★
★
Very lush, rain forest terrain. Nice incline hiking south. Many flowers & birds. Traffic/train noise for almost 2 miles, as this route almost parallels the highway. Dry Creek waterfall beautiful.
★
★
★
★
Great hike to escape a rainy day in Portland. Oak trees and open grass area. Easy/ample parking and no fees. A lot of Poison Oak and risk of Ticks in the grass. Not a lot of tree cover.
★
★
★
★
stars
This trail has one of the best views in the gorge, but is also one of my least favorite. There is absolutely no escape or serenity on this trail. It is completely overrun and overused to the point that makes me feel guilty about treading on the path. I believe this trail should be closed to allow it to recover. I would recommend checking out Forest Park or Multnomah Falls for the folks in the city interested in doing this hike.
★
★
stars
The wildflowers on this hike are unparalleled to anywhere else in the gorge. Take plenty of water, sunblock, and of course, pictures on this hike during the springtime. It's one of my favorite places...it's also many other folk's favorite places, so be aware that there will be crowds on the weekends.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
Beautiful warm spring day. The views are amazing, looking East down the Columbia river and West to Mt Hood. The flowers are starting to bloom. There are so many options for hikes in the area with numerous trailheads. Beware, Ticks are out, one got me and I found 3 on my dogs hair.
★
★
★
★
stars
Started in the Multnohma falls parking lot but went up the Wahkeena falls side. No snow on the trails. It was muddy in places but great hike. Took the quick out of route stop to the Wahkeena springs, watching the water flow from the earth is awesome it just pours out. There was a fair amount of people throughout the trail. The weather was perfect, started with long sleeves and was able to get to short sleeves.
★
★
★
★
This place is beautiful, but be so cautious if there has been rain/snow. I was caught in a rockslide last winter caused by thawing snow and the fire from a couple years ago, and now I have a tree to thank for my life.
★
★
★
★
stars
This trail is one of the most crowded trails in the gorge. There are more people on this trail than you would find in Forest Park, and that’s in February. Summer time can have even more.
It’s over-hiked, so the path is extremely muddy.
That said, the view at the top is awesome.
★
★
★
Muddy in areas have good boots to get through. There was small amount of snow on top of mountain.
★
★
★
★
★
Quick and easily accessible hike. Will get your blood pumping with the decent climb over a short distance. Views are top notch.
★
★
★
★
★
Nice, short hike with 2 great waterfalls. Be careful. Trail has lots of clay, especially the west portion. Can be slippery if wet. Almost fell twice.
★
★
★
★
★
Enjoyable day in the woods. Did the main hike and then some exploring.
★
★
★
★
★
Massive park with trails for you to go on long walks with your dog, entire park is off leash. 99% of dogs are off leash.
★
★
★
★
★
stars
It appears this is a trail less traveled. You can see the original trail but there is a new version in the start and looks to be grassroots. Survey tape designates the trail if you get off course. There is some scrambling for the view point to the top to make it a loop. Not an open summit but there are some great views of the gorge along the hike.
★
★
★
stars
Well marked for winter activities. Was not needed today regardless of the snow and you could still see the path. Hit snow as I got to some elevation and was blazing the trail. Can’t complain about having the place to yourself and being the first through fresh snow. Beautiful, sunny day. Was all alone until the way down when I decided to add on the Dog Mountain side. Ensure you have traction devices for the Dog Mountain side.
★
★
★
★
Steep but not too challenging ! Great views if it’s not cloudy.
★
★
★
★
★
2nd best hike of the vacation.
If you go to the top of the falls (we all know that’s never the best place to view it) you might as well make the climb worthwhile by adding 3-4 more falls. It’s not much more climbing but well worth the effort.
A couple places are a little scary if you are afraid of heights like I am, but are generally fine unless you need to pass people.
★
★
★
★
If you go up, I suggest enjoying part of the creek trail. It’s better than the top of the falls.
If you aren’t up to the whole thing, the seating area by the 4th switchback - that switchback above it is your last great view.
★
★
★
This is a moderately difficult trail with 11 switchbacks. 1 mile each way out and back. The trail is paved for nearly the entire distance. There are very steep drop-offs off the side of the trail for part of the way so those with children should be careful. There are several look out spots which afford nice views of the falls and of the Columbia River Gorge looking westward.
★
★
★
★
★
Impressive view from an impressive WPA trail blasted into the side of an impressive. Great views of Bonneville Dam down below.
★
★
★
★
★
On the first day of fall, the lower 1/4-1/3 mile is a little muddy and some of the scree areas are slippery. Near the top, about 2 miles in, there’s a gauntlet of poison oak. Otherwise, just a beautiful, iconic Gorge hike. Do it during the week and avoid the traffic jams!
★
★
★
★
Gentle climb, best in morning (August) to avoid afternoon heat. Quite windy even early. Trail was dry packed dirt and mostly exposed other than brief groves here and there. Great views of the Gorge, Mt Adams to the north, Mt Hood to the southwest.
★
★
★
★
Very enjoyable, although there was quite an abundance of poison oak. The hike to Gillette Lake is 2.5 miles from the parking lot. Trail conditions were normal. Views are limited, but there is a longer stretch you can do to see a waterfall. Lake is stocked with fish. A few campsites are near the lake, this would be a nice spot for an overnight.
★
★
★
★
Loved this hike. We’re training for Mt.Baker and wanted some elevation gain. This gave us 3,000 feet in relatively short hike. We went counter clockwise as the ground was more dirt and pine needles which made it easier on the knees. The summit to Nick Eaton was no view at all. So many trees everywhere. Overall nice hike but tough for anyone not used to going straight up.
★
★
★
★
Tried to go further up Nick Eaton, but it was extremely overgrown. Recommend sticking to the smaller loop.
★
★
★
★
stars
One of my all time favorite hikes. Can be a little difficult to find the trail when you really start ascending but its well worth it!
★
★
★
★
★
Herman Creek Trail #406 to Gorton Creek Trail #408 to Ridge Cutoff Trail #437 to Nick Eaton Trail #447.
Took us approx. 5 hrs round trip with breaks and hanging out at the point. Beautiful color/texture contrast with burnt trees and new foliage/wildflowers. Amazing gorge views throughout. Fairly challenging for us novice hikers, but nothing undoable for newbs. Going up on the steep, switchback-y Nick Eaton might save your knees vs going down it.
★
★
★
★
★
Took us approx 5 hr round trip via the Ridge Cutoff Loop. Beautiful contract of burnt trees and new foliage/wildflowers. Amazing gorge views throughout. Fairly challenging for a couple of novice hikers, going up Nick Eaton to start the loop might save your knees.
★
★
★
★
A breezy hike from Hood River to Mosier 9 1/4 miles if you don’t take any of the side trails
★
★
★
★
★
I intended to hike a ways up the Mt Defiance trail but took a wrong turn. Near the top the trail narrows and is overgrown with young trees. I went as far as my stamina would let me. All in all I would say it was a good effort for the first hike after several years.
★
★
★
stars
Hiked up to Green Point Mountain summit on May 12, 2019 from the Herman Creek trailhead and continuing on #406 until forking off onto the Nick Eaton Trail #447. As was the case last year, much of the trail on Nick Eaton ridge is filled with dry needles, burnt bark, and downed limbs making the trail easy to lose if you're not focused. Once you hit the Gorton Creek trail #408, you enter the unburnt forest which has preserved much of the trail until you get to around 4,200' of elevation. At that point, it's snow up to the summit.
The depth of the snow varies from 2'-3' all the way to the top - all of it a hard, rippled snow. There is no trace of a trail to be found, so have GPS ready if you plan to do this hike since it's roughly 2 miles of snow crushing to the top. You'll also encounter bear tracks along the way although I did not spot any black bear on this day's adventure. Most of the climb is gradual until you get to the final 100' climb where you'll need to just find the safest way up to the top. Once at the summit, it's nice and clear of snow since it's been exposed to the sun for some time now. The view was spectacular and all mountains in the area were clearly visible including Mt. Ranier.
On the way down I completed the loop by taking the Herman Creek trail all the way back to the trailhead. Fortunately, going downhill in the snow wasn't too bad since the descent was gradual. After about three quarters of a mile down from the summit at the Wahtum Lake Road junction all snow was gone. The rest of the hike down included rushing creeks and waterfalls from the season's snow melt.
Awesome hike which will give your legs a good workout, especially once you start up the Nick Eaton trail. Would give this hike 5 stars if it wasn't for the condition of the trail from Nick Eaton ridge to the summit. Still, if you have a GPS unit, this is definitely a hike to put on your list.
★
★
★
★
Our first time here since the devastating fire in the gorge. We were not disappointed. While there are burned areas with tree snags it is wonderful to see the lush green returning to the forest floor. And the wildflowers are especially beautiful. The views on the hike are even better than before. And of course the views from the top of Angels Rest are amazing
★
★
★
★
★
stars
stars
Hiked 5/6/19 13.6 miles with 5249 elevation gain. Did a loop hike starting with Defiance trail, to Mt. Defiance summit, to Warren Lake, to Mitchel Point, to Starvation Ridge trail and back on Mt. Defiance. Took us over 14hrs to complete. I was the first car in the lot at Starvation Creek State Park at 4:15am. Mt. Defiance was a great steep switchback trail with some flat sections in the forrest up high. Lots of downed trees on the trail. There is snow right after the scree field trail junction which we opted out of and crossed the snow instead (we used our microspikes in the snow). 2 to 4ft of snow in places. 2 miles or more of snow. Views were amazing the day we went. Couple good camp spots at Warren Lake. Mitchell point had OK views. Starvation Trail was super hard with very few switchbacks, so you're almost always going straight down. Poison oak on the trail, so make sure you cover up your skin. Lots of beautiful flowers and amazing view points.
Visited 12/8/18. Beautiful area to stop at for hiking, sightseeing and a great lunch spot with a couple picnic tables next to Viento falls. Paved trails look very new. Bathrooms were flushing toilets and very clean inside, but only have air dryers, no paper towels for drying your hands. I've seen this place a bunch of other times while visiting the gorge and have always wanted to stop by and check it out. I came here to hike mt defiance trail. The trailheads are easy to find. Mt defiance, starvation ridge and a couple others are on the 14 going west when you walk on the paved path. Starvation ridge from historic trail paved path is closed but you can reach it on mt defiance trail. I did not complete trails because there were creek crossings on both mt defiance and starvation ridge that had no bridges, I was wearing my summer hiking boots (not wanting to get them wet in the water), it was cold out and I was hiking alone. This area is a must stop if you have the time to check it out. I will definitely be back to hike again. Counted 4 waterfalls.
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Hiked 5/6/19 13.6 miles with 5249 elevation gain. Did a loop hike starting with Defiance trail, to Mt. Defiance summit, to Warren Lake, to Mitchel Point, to Starvation Ridge trail and back on Mt. Defiance. Took us over 14hrs to complete. I was the first car in the lot at Starvation Creek State Park at 4:15am. Mt. Defiance was a great steep switchback trail with some flat sections in the forrest up high. Lots of downed trees on the trail. There is snow right after the scree field trail junction which we opted out of and crossed the snow instead (we used our microspikes in the snow). 2 to 4ft of snow in places. 2 miles or more of snow. Views were amazing the day we went. Couple good camp spots at Warren Lake. Mitchell point had OK views. Starvation Trail was super hard with very few switchbacks, so you're almost always going straight down. Poison oak on the trail, so make sure you cover up your skin. Lots of beautiful flowers and amazing view points.
Visited 12/8/18. Beautiful area to stop at for hiking, sightseeing and a great lunch spot with a couple picnic tables next to Viento falls. Paved trails look very new. Bathrooms were flushing toilets and very clean inside, but only have air dryers, no paper towels for drying your hands. I've seen this place a bunch of other times while visiting the gorge and have always wanted to stop by and check it out. I came here to hike mt defiance trail. The trailheads are easy to find. Mt defiance, starvation ridge and a couple others are on the 14 going west when you walk on the paved path. Starvation ridge from historic trail paved path is closed but you can reach it on mt defiance trail. I did not complete trails because there were creek crossings on both mt defiance and starvation ridge that had no bridges, I was wearing my summer hiking boots (not wanting to get them wet in the water), it was cold out and I was hiking alone. This area is a must stop if you have the time to check it out. I will definitely be back to hike again. Counted 4 waterfalls.
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4/30/19 It's 3:39am and I am the first car in the lot! This is my first time ever hiking or stopping here. There are two handicap parking spots. The parking lot is riddled with large potholes so take care with your vehicle. There are locked vaulted toilets 100 yards up the dog mountain trail. They were pretty smelly when I got there downward in the am. There is a picnic table. You need a Northwest forrest pass, america the beautiful pass or there is a self service pay station here for $5.00. I hiked 11.95 miles 4387ft elevation gain in 8hrs 9 minutes total time, 6hrs 44 mins moving time. Augspurger trail to Augspurger Ridge to Dog Mountain and down more difficult trail on dog, started at 3:59:30 AM. Augspurger is a beautiful trail (way more easy going and gradual than the more difficult trail on Dog Mountain) mostly forrested and well maintained till you get to the dog mountain trail junction. There was a trail junction on Augspurger at .73 miles in for an Old Loggers Trail that looked overgrown. When you hike down to the valley before the powerlines, expect bushwacking and there are lots of obstacles on the trail. A section of the hike is on powerline roads and can be confusing to navigate, if you do not have a map. There are trail markers on the actual augspurger trails and great signs to point you in the right direction minus the powerline roads junction. I stopped on Augspurger Ridge, great views of the gorge here (I liked it better than Dog, because no one else was up there). This was at 5.13 miles in. I continued on for a bit, but the trail was really overgrown beyond the ridge to the summit, so I decided to save that for another day. On the way back headed up Dog Mountain trail via Augsburger. (very nice trail in the forrest till you are at the ridge on the side of Dog mountain.) Small trails on the ridge. The true lookout didn't have much of a view, but the first lookout has beautiful safe seating and spacious. Take care on your steps down from here. The dirt on the trail is slick. If you prefer a gradual descent and are using a map take the long way down dog (the difficult trail). Unbeknowst to me I took the more difficult trail down (there are no signs on top that tell you, which trail is more hard.) The more difficult trail is 2.98 brutally steep miles. The dirt is slippery until you get to the forrest. From the time I started to 10am (10am I was on dog mountain trail via augspurger) I saw nor heard no one on the trail for the first 6hrs of my hike. An almost full parking lot on a Tuesday early afternoon I think most cars were carrying a car load, because I saw and stopped for a ton of people and dogs on the way down. A couple of trail junctions on the more difficult dog trail. Saw very little trash on trail and about half of the dogs I saw were leashed. Very small sporadic wild flower sightings. Lots of trillium in the forrests. If you are coming to dog at this time of year for wildflowers, I think it is still too early. Come here for a great thigh burning workout. A couple of areas on highway 14 for road work one right in front of dog mountain trailhead takes highway down to one lane so expect some waiting. Another at beacon rock area, all on my way out. Saw two police cruisers speed checking highway 14, one at North Bonnevile on the straight part. One closer to Washougal, WA. Also saw no rattlers and had no Ticks on myself at the end of the day. Lots of bugs in the more lush areas where you can tell there is underground water running. I did not see any children on this trail and would not recommend this trail for any child that is not experienced.
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4/30/19 It's 3:39am and I am the first car in the lot! This is my first time ever hiking or stopping here. There are two handicap parking spots. The parking lot is riddled with large potholes so take care with your vehicle. There are locked vaulted toilets 100 yards up the dog mountain trail. They were pretty smelly when I got there downward in the am. There is a picnic table. You need a Northwest forrest pass, america the beautiful pass or there is a self service pay station here for $5.00. I hiked 11.95 miles 4387ft elevation gain in 8hrs 9 minutes total time, 6hrs 44 mins moving time. Augspurger trail to Augspurger Ridge to Dog Mountain and down more difficult trail on dog, started at 3:59:30 AM. Augspurger is a beautiful trail (way more easy going and gradual than the more difficult trail on Dog Mountain) mostly forrested and well maintained till you get to the dog mountain trail junction. There was a trail junction on Augspurger at .73 miles in for an Old Loggers Trail that looked overgrown. When you hike down to the valley before the powerlines, expect bushwacking and there are lots of obstacles on the trail. A section of the hike is on powerline roads and can be confusing to navigate, if you do not have a map. There are trail markers on the actual augspurger trails and great signs to point you in the right direction minus the powerline roads junction. I stopped on Augspurger Ridge, great views of the gorge here (I liked it better than Dog, because no one else was up there). This was at 5.13 miles in. I continued on for a bit, but the trail was really overgrown beyond the ridge to the summit, so I decided to save that for another day. On the way back headed up Dog Mountain trail via Augsburger. (very nice trail in the forrest till you are at the ridge on the side of Dog mountain.) Small trails on the ridge. The true lookout didn't have much of a view, but the first lookout has beautiful safe seating and spacious. Take care on your steps down from here. The dirt on the trail is slick. If you prefer a gradual descent and are using a map take the long way down dog (the difficult trail). Unbeknowst to me I took the more difficult trail down (there are no signs on top that tell you, which trail is more hard.) The more difficult trail is 2.98 brutally steep miles. The dirt is slippery until you get to the forrest. From the time I started to 10am (10am I was on dog mountain trail via augspurger) I saw nor heard no one on the trail for the first 6hrs of my hike. An almost full parking lot on a Tuesday early afternoon I think most cars were carrying a car load, because I saw and stopped for a ton of people and dogs on the way down. A couple of trail junctions on the more difficult dog trail. Saw very little trash on trail and about half of the dogs I saw were leashed. Very small sporadic wild flower sightings. Lots of trillium in the forrests. If you are coming to dog at this time of year for wildflowers, I think it is still too early. Come here for a great thigh burning workout. A couple of areas on highway 14 for road work one right in front of dog mountain trailhead takes highway down to one lane so expect some waiting. Another at beacon rock area, all on my way out. Saw two police cruisers speed checking highway 14, one at North Bonnevile on the straight part. One closer to Washougal, WA. Also saw no rattlers and had no Ticks on myself at the end of the day. Didn't see any children on the trail and wouldn't recommend this hike for children unless they are experienced. Lots of bugs in the more lush areas where you can tell there is underground water running.
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4/9/19 Tuesday hardy ridge loop 7.62 miles. Hiked east and west trails via the equestrian trail. Snow on trail when I went in the forrest high above. Patches of snow on side of trail right before trail turns to foot traffic only. Lots of debris on the west descent of the trail. Summited on a rainy day, so I did not explore the top much. Beautiful hike.
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First one on the trail and in the parking lot at 7:05am on 12/24/18. Hiked 8.9 miles counterclockwise from Herman Creek to Gorton Creek to Nick Eaton trail and back to Herman Creek. ( I had a pre recorded map, very helpful to have.)
I tried this trail a couple of years ago before I got into shape and I could not finish it, it was brutal and I was, barely move sore for days after. I've been hiking practically every weekend this year and I finally was able to finish this trail!!!
I did this trail counterclockwise, starting with Gorton creek was long (when you get close to the top the snow begins and much of the flat trail on Nick Eaton is covered in snow, it was not icy, so no microspikes needed 12/24/18.), with lots of switchbacks and a creek crossing and on the way down on Nick Eaton trail was brutal, my toes were smashed against the tips of my boots with every step, there are steep switchbacks on the tail end for me of this hike. My feet were so sore when I got to the Herman Creek, Pct trail, otherwise I would have gone down to check out the Herman Creek Bridge (next time!). Finished the hike at 1pm and was hiking for around 6hrs. Most of the trail is really steep so be prepared! When I got back to my car there were 4 other cars in the lot. The parking lot holds 10 cars. You must have a NW forrest pass or pay $5 day use fee. There is a pay box here. The campground when I came here is closed. The bathroom is vaulted toilet and was clean when I got there in the am, but on the smelly side when I left in the PM. I saw 6 people on the trail and all were on my descent, so after 11:30am or so. All of this trail above the power line road was affected by the eagle creek fire.
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The day we went had low level clouds covering the mountain top above about 1800 feet so no views. The date was April 17 which is about two weeks early for what will be the main Balsolm root bloom as buds were just showing. There were plenty of yellow bells, bleeding hearts and red currants among other varieties. The trail had lots of recent rain so was slippery but manageable.
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The day we went was especially windy which is common so dress accordingly. The day was cloudy and there hadn’t been any rain for a few days so the trail was firm with just a few wet spots. There were plenty of wildflowers in full bloom and a wide variety. The views of the gorge were good since the clouds were higher. We added extra distance from the top to go up the steep tail to where it ends at private property. There were other good views and we have seen deer in the past here but none today. This section is lightly used and it still was in good shape with just a couple of small downed trees to step over. We did not do the trails to the west of the parking lot due to the wind.
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This is a great hike for views, waterfalls and a good workout. While the sun was shining most of the way, the peaks were hidden in the clouds but the views of the river were fantastic. The waterfalls were also very nice. Unfortunately the winds were intense and on the ridge on the other side of the summit I had to focus on holding my wind against the wind. We did the loop which was actually 8 miles total. I liked the fact that the descent was not as steep as the ascent. My dog (the "we" in this review) had no difficulty on this hike and he is almost 11 years old. I will do this again when the peaks are out and the wind is less intense.
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The trail from Multnomah Lodge to Larch Mountain was just opened early November 2018 after the fire damage was cleared from a year ago. The fire damage was extensive to the lower half of the trail.
The trail was mostly cleared of rock slides and fallen trees with just a short area after the bridge at 2 miles from the lodge. This was mostly small trees and shrubs blocking the trail to pick your way through or go around. It was nice to see all of the falls again but many of the views were altered by the burned trees and fallen debris.
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We did this about a year after the fire at Eagle Creek and had a good look at the damage done as well as how the forest is recovering. The trails showed evidence of maintenance and there was only one small tree on the trail to go over. It was impressive how far up the tree the fire went yet how many of the larger trees survived.
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