Cascade Locks, Oregon

Starting at the John B Yeon Trailhead parking lot, begin to walk into the forest. After a little more than a quarter mile, you will see a fork in the road, with one way leading to Elowah Falls, and the other way leading to Upper McCord Creek Falls. Take the trail leading to Upper McCord Creek. Th...

Hamilton Mountain has one of the best views in the Columbia Gorge. The hike starts out with a gradual uphill climb through an old-growth forest. After about a half-mile in you will come to a clearing where you can see the ridge line going up to the top of Hamilton Mountain. From there you'll pass...

Located along the Hamilton Mountain Trail, the Hardy and Rodney falls out and back hike is a good alternative for those looking for a shorter hike compared to the 7.6-mile hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain. From the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead, you will follow the trail through thick trees fo...

Beacon Rock is one of the most recognizable landmarks along the Columbia River Gorge. It’s an 848-foot basalt monolith (a singular piece of rock) that was once the core of an ancient volcano. To access the rock, park in a developed parking area at the rock’s base that has room for about 30 cars. ...

Once you reach the parking lot, walk down the hill and find the trail head, which is easily seen as it is marked. Begin your trek up the trail. The way up is pretty much all uphill, and is a great workout for the legs. You will walk through forests and over many rocks on the way up. As soon as y...

Beginning at the Wahtum Lake trailhead, follow the Wahtum Lake Express trail down to the shore and head east (right) around the lake. At the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail, follow the Herman Creek Trail to the east (right, again). You'll begin your ascent out of the Wahtum Lake bowl and to...

The easy version of the Chinidere Mountain hike starts Wahtum Lake Trailhead. The road to the parking lot for Wahtum Lake is paved and thus very easy to access in summer and before snowfall in autumn! The mountain sits across the lake from the parking lot and there are several trails that will ta...

The Dog Mountain trailhead is located halfway between Stevenson and Bingen. Look for the big signed parking area just after milepost 53 (Eastbound). The parking lot fills up quickly, especially during peak wildflower season, so if you can go on a weekday that would be better. There are 3 trails ...

If you know the Columbia Gorge, you know Dog Mountain. It's the ever-rewarding, incredibly challenging, insanely popular, calf-burning 6.5-mile hike that attracts hundreds of people every weekend, especially during May and June when the wildflowers are in full bloom.  If you're like me and you h...

From the Rock Creek Pass Trailhead, begin the short hike to Three Corner Rock by heading south on the Pacific Crest Trail from its crossing of Road CG 2090. After a steady 1.5-mile climb of roughly 600 feet, look for a large fallen sign marking the junction to Three Corner Rock. Shortly after, an...

This hike starts at the Starvation Creek Rest Area. After parking, head west back along the shoulder of the freeway, where you’ll see a wooden sign stating “Mt. Defiance Trail.” Continue heading west along the abandoned Columbia River Highway. Keep going west as you pass the junction with the Sta...

Starvation Creek Falls is an impressive 190 ft. waterfall just a few feet from the parking lot. If you don't know it's there, you'll miss it. Keep walking past the restrooms, away from the trail head to see this beautiful two-tiered waterfall. There are a couple of picnic tables near the creek to...

The hike along Mt. Defiance Trail to Warren and Lancaster Falls is great if you want to get away from some of the more crowded destinations in the gorge, or just want to catch some shade during the summer. The trail is fairly easygoing, though the last 1/4th of a mile to Lancaster Falls is a bit ...

Ponytail Falls is an easy 0.8 mile hike located in the gorge that begins at Horsetail Falls. After hiking up mild switchbacks, continue to your right at the first trailhead intersection. The path levels out before coming around the mountain and opening up to the waterfall. This is the easiest wa...

Start off on this loop from Horsetail Falls Trailhead. It never hurts to start a hike with a view of Horsetail Falls. This 2.5 mile loop will start you off on Gorge trail #400 up Horsetail Falls Trail. You’ll encounter a few switchbacks before the trail flattens out and leads you into the valley ...

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain)...here This hike is very short (1 mile roundtrip) but does take some time to do. The trail leads down from the road into a stream bed. You follow the stream bed upstream through ...