Rocky with plenty stretches of dreamy dirt, smooth and peaceful. Baby Head is tricky and probably impossible to do North to South.
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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!
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First hike in Alaska! Palmer. With relatives and dog Newton.
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Great hike. Wildflowers were still out in mid July which was a nice surprise. Well maintained. Larger sized rocks on trail were harder to walk on. Day was quite socked in with clouds but the views I glimpsed gave me a taste of what to expect on a clear day. We were planning the full 12 mile loop but had to cut it a little short. Paid $99 for the lesson that even though most of the hike is in the National Forest, the trail head is not, so forest pass doesn’t work for parking. So make sure you bring your discover pass.
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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.
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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.
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Great hike with moderate vertical, nice creek and high ridge-line with great views.
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Super challenging hike. Great if you want a challenge and to cross Mt Defiance off the bucket list. We did is as a training hike for a longer backpacking trip. There are better view hikes around and the TV antenna campus at the top is not the tranquil, wilderness experience I was looking for. Trail surface is very loose and coming down was precarious. But super satisfying to have done.
Note: the very bottom of the Starvation creek trail was closed due to a slide, so you can either do an out and back on Mt defiance trail, or we cut across to rejoin trail above slide.
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Although there aren't a lot of wildflowers on this hike, the views of Siouxon Creek and the Waterfalls make it worthwhile.
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This is a superb hike, but be warned: the road getting there isn't just "bad," it's barely even a road. It looks like it has been carpet-bombed in many places. Only really rugged vehicles with high clearance can even make it to the trailhead. If you have just a regular car, like I do, be prepared to park 2 miles down the service road and have an uphill slog to the trailhead.
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Loved this hike! The clouds lifted just enough that we were able to see the top of the mountain for a split second, and there were lovely views down the Ape Canyon. Wildflowers were present though not in huge quantities. The forest was quiet and peaceful.
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This hike was awesome! Completed the hike with 13 good friends. The views were absolutely breathtaking. Being so close to Rainer was epic. The scramble to the true peak was short, but fun. The rappel from the top was also short and sweet! The best part may have been the glissade. Two great runs. Plenty of evidence of avalanches in the first first draw going up. Large trees and branches scattered everywhere. Be carful. Summer climb maybe more of a challenge climbing on the boulders than walking on snow. All in all one everyone must try!
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A breezy hike from Hood River to Mosier 9 1/4 miles if you don’t take any of the side trails
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Beautiful hike. Some wildflowers are popping out. I can tell there’s a ton to come. Went out 6/1/19. Still a lot of snow from about mile 2.
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Did this one in July, check the conditions of the snow/ice before glissading down. If it's still icy in the early morning, walk down instead of sliding.
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Mixed weather up top. Clouds stayed intact until 11:30 then windows opened and closed. Fog came up from south side intermittent. Snow softened around 11am so we were post holing above lunch Counter.
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We went on this hike 5/21/2019. This route was open and the trail was in good shape. While there was still evidence of the burn through this area from a couple of years ago, the undergrowth has come back with acres of blooming flowers of many kinds. A good time to go. Lots of view points of the Columbia River and the falls.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Awesome hike. Lots of features in a short summit. Waterfalls, light scrambling, etc. Take the detours to pool of the winds, and all of the side treks tot he viewpoints. Great picnic spot on the saddle behind the mountain too.
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Did this one 5/11/19. Mountain got warm very quickly in the afternoon. Bring lots of water if starting from the Bonneville Dam trailhead. 3 liters +. One of the best hikes in the gorge.
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This mountain is an icon. The view from the rim into the crater is other worldly and coupled with the panoramic view of several other cascade volcanoes the payoff is worth the work. If you have the gear for snow travel I’d suggest this route early in the season to avoid the dust on the monitor ridge route. Permits required after April first and they go fast.
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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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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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Up at 2:30am, we signed in at the trail register at 4am (mandatory to do this, as well as carrying the permit you were issued ahead of time). Got to the summit around 10am, with a few gear adjustments and snack breaks on the way up. Weather changes quickly so come prepared for anything. If you're going to glissade please research proper techniques as we saw many people who were holding their axe in ways that could have caused horrific injuries. You do not want the pick of the axe in your thigh or chest!
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Visited 3/30/19 at 4am for a sunrise hike to Hamilton mountain. The creek was raging this day. Easy to moderate hike up. Very muddy in the waterfall area. Parked at beacon rock state park near the campground. Flushing toilets here, kids playground and a nice picnic and day use area. Also they have handicap parking here near the bathrooms.
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Visited 4/19/19. Hiked 7.62 miles, non-stop rain the whole way. Took me 4hrs. Saw a female turkey! Road up to equestrian trailhead is in good shape. Bathrooms were clean, although on a more warm day they probably would have been stinky. I hiked up east hardy ridge/equestrian and down west hardy ridge. The upper trail is foot traffic only. Several trees down on upper hardy ridge and a couple patches of snow on the side of the trail. Other than that the trail was in good condition. There are two equestrian camps at the parking area, beautiful spots E1 and E2, they are $12.00/night. Pay station at the kiosk. You need a discover pass to park here for day use. I also saw several picnic trails. Numerous hiking options. Only saw 1 other car come in as I was leaving and saw no one on the trail. Started at 4:30am and finished at 8:30am. Large parking area here, road in is one lane width in most places.
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Visited on 4/23/19. Saw no one on the trail, nor the parking area on my way out. Hiked equestrian trail, to lower loop trail, to equestrian trail, to the bathroom on the bridge trail for a break from the constant rain. Then headed out on the equestrian trail.Hiked 6.1 miles in 2.5 hrs moving time, 3hrs total with stops. 3.07hrs total 1147 elevation gain.
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4/16/19 Tuesday equestrian trail to Bridge trail to upper hardy trail to unnamed road in nw corner of beacon roack state park to Hamilton Mountain via the north side down and out on equestrian trail 10.3 miles.
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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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1/21/19 Herman Creek to the PCT South for a bit, then the PCT North to pct falls and the pillars and then back to trailhead. 9.77miles. 2,559 ft elevation gain. There is a vaulted toilet at trailhead. Parking at Herman creek can get hectic later in the day and on weekends.
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Started at Bonneville trailhead on 12/31/18 at 5:30am. Bathrooms were locked due to the government shutdown and you need to have a northwest forrest pass, national parks pass or there is a fee deposit box at this site to park here. My alltrails app was glitching this day so I took a wrong turn onto the bridge of the gods trail and had to backtrack to the trail junction for gillette lake (the right way). There is no info at this junction for table mountain. Beautiful forrest and as you near table mountain there are several trails that intersect with no information and some closer to the summit with notations, so it's helpful to have a map or pre-recorded track. I went up the westward trail, it is very steep on this side, (don't let the signs below fool you. Both acensions are equally hard.) Once you get out of the treeline you are hiking/climbing up rocky, steep and at times bushy terrain with sheer drop offs on one or both sides. There was also snow and ice there, but not bad enough at the time I went to need microspikes, but do carry them if you are going to make a go of this in the winter(westward trail is 1.7 miles,but feels so long in the moment!). Hiked around the west side of the butte and the forrest up top to get views from the top on all sides (there is about a couple feet of snow in non forrested areas and a foot of snow maybe in the forrest. Breathtaking views from the top. Descended down heartbreak equally difficult took me about 3 hours to get down 1 mile of pure nasty 😂. The boulder field is no joke steep with rocks that move! felt a lot safer on heartbreak, but it really killed my toes! Took me 14hours to finish this trail and I did around 22miles total.
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Hiked this trail 2/18/19. Trail is in good condition with a few trees over the trail and snow starting in the forrest and growing to a foot or more on the ridge. Trail was packed down snow from previous hikers. Snow had iced over in the forrest and on the ridge in the morning, so microspikes and trekking poles are helpful. I got to the upper lot at 7:00 am and at 7:10am they opened the gate to the parking area. There is parking on the side of the road from the upper lot if you want to go early before they open the gate. The upper lot has plenty of great parking, but no bathrooms. There is a picnic area down the hill from the parking area.
Saw a ton of people as I was making my descent, which was expected for a holiday weekend for most people on a Monday. I was the first one in the lot and on the trail.
Also hiked this trail 3/25/19 got pretty close to cedar falls on the map. Very little snow left. Hiked not far from cedar falls. Arrived early and parked on dirt lot on the side of the main road. Across from the road to yacolt, WA.
Both times started at moultan falls.
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We camped at the Marble Mountain Sno-Park parking lot the night before and started our ascent on the Worm Flows Winter trail at 4:15 AM. We began the hike with micro spikes and did not take them off for the duration of the trip. The moon was bright but we still used our headlamps until about 5:45 when the sunrise was bright enough to light the path. After timberline, we were above the clouds and the sunrise was absolutely stunning. After reaching the "permit required" at about 3 miles up, it was a stair stepping climb of 5,500 feet to the summit. There is a false summit and only 650 feet more of elevation gain until the true summit. We were lucky to go on a sunny day with footholds in a majority of the snow pack up. Wear sunscreen!
We reached the summit at 9:30 AM. The views were well worth the climb and there was a cornice that we needed to be careful of but otherwise, there were views of Adams, Hoood, and Rainier in addition the astounding layer of clouds and peeping holes of the mountains/lakes below. We had never tried glissading but once we got the hang of it, it was by far the easiest way down. Be sure to bring waterproof pants and an ice axe but due to the steep grade of the trail on snow/ice, walking would have been much more dangerous. There were TONS of hikers/skiers ascending as the snow started to soften during our descent and we were grateful to have started early enough where the snow was hard and easy to trek across. After glissading down 6,000 feet or so, we walked the additional 2 miles back to the parking lot and returned at 1:45 PM.
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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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great for the nice waterfall views and pioneer cemetery. GOing up the FOG trail to the plateau you have wonderful wildflowers in April and May (balsam root!) and views of the Columbia Gorge and coyote wall or syncline opposite.
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A relatively easy hike but worth doing at this time of the year since the falls had a lot of water flowing over it and there was a wide variety of wild flowers in full bloom. The day was cloudy but there were still excellent views of the gorge and valley.
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Beautiful hike and a new Gorge favorite with good views! Good steady elevation gain, proceeds through a beautiful burn. Go counterclockwise to do the steep on the uphill so the downhill isn't as hard on your knees
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My trip started from the Hantwick Road Trailhead. This wide trail is popular with runners, bikers and horses, so expect heavy use in the summer. A paved path turns into gravel about a half mile in. Road noise can be heard from Lucia Falls Road on the other side of the river where there are homes/cabins. On this trip we saw newts crossing the trail and heard frogs in the large pond. The trail is relatively flat. There appears to be a fair amount of water flowing over Moulton Falls this time of year. We continued over to Yacolt Falls. The steel walk bridge was not connected to complete the loop.
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Great hike. I love it on a clear day when you can see the 5 peaks (St Helens, Rainier, Adams, Hood and Jefferson). Enjoys the water and Hidden Falls on the Tarbell portion. Go through some clear cut sections on Tarbell and reminds you that our state forests provide for us. On the Chinook trail portion you see the former roadway that was used to support the lookout that once stood on Silver Star Mountain.
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Snow was hard enough that micro spikes were fine. Trail clear until about 1/2 way roughly, for now.
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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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Trail climbs slowly to achieve a spectacular view from a promontory where we had lunch. We didn't ski down, but we saw half a dozen skiers and riders enjoying the sugary powder.
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Always a great, challenging hike. Nothing technical when done in summer/early fall. Make sure to bring plenty of water as there are no water sources. If it is going to be a hot day try to start as early as possible. Once the sun rises the upper stretches can be brutal in the heat.
https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/e6abf134327279e1b6fb81610d04c1d3/?layer=caltoporelief,stamenterrainhd,OpenLandscapeMapHD
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Nice loop hike. Over 1500 feet of elevation gain. As an avid hiker I would rate this hike as moderate (not so difficult). With the result of the burned out areas, beware of mudslides in the rainy season. But off-season is the time to go. I won't even go near this area in the summer as its too over-run with people.
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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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It’s a calf burner hike and the views are still spectacular even in November. A little muddy at top and some frost with winds. But still special place.
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Have done this hike many times. Always nice to share with visitors on a clear blue sky day with 360 degree views of Mt. Adams, Rainer and Mt Hood
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This is a popular hike with many good trip reports available. I'd like to add a quick update on late season conditions. Coming after several days of hard rain, I was happy to see that the weather forecast predicted some clouds, partial sunbreaks, and a low probability of showers. With a boost of optimism, I was on the trail before 8 am--no other cars at the trailhead. I headed past Comet Falls, flowing relatively light, and on to Van Trump Park where I climbed as high as I could in the meadows. No snow to be found, although there was some frost and occasional globs here and there. Many of the steeper sections in the upper meadows showed signs of recent erosion, confirming how much rain had fallen in the last few days.
Next I headed west off trail, down-climbed and crossed Van Trump Creek, then scrambled up the other side. Gaining the grassy ridge, I made my way towards Mildred Point snapping photos as I went. Lots of fresh bear scat in this area, but no sightings. Mildred Point was a good place to pause for a break and savor the stark contrast between the gentle, sweeping views towards the Tatoosh range, and the gaping chasm of Kautz Creek flowing out of the glacier.
Heading down on trail, I finally saw a human near the junction with the Rampart Ridge trail, a park employee who was cataloging signs of carnivores. She was happy to hear my report.
On the rest of my descent, I passed dozens of hikers and when I reached the trailhead, the parking lot was full.
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Trail is in great shape up to the lake, from the TH the trail has been relocated a bit. I assume to make it a little easier - whatever. The road to get there is in pretty decent shape as well. Pro Tip: If the TH is NOT in a state park, safe to say it's best to have a rig that can handle pot holes and ruts in the road.
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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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Went back to Goat Rocks beginning of June for a backcountry ski. Snow to the trailhead was almost melted out. Carried skis for a decent bit on the first half of the trail until consistent snow to skin. Continued to climb and set up camp with views of Adams and St. Helens. Took an evening climb with skis until snow ended at base of Old Snowy. Continued up the trail on the rocky peak with a few scramble moves to reach the summit. A couple bivvy spots at the summit for those who can snag them.
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