{"id":21450,"date":"2017-10-10T10:37:46","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T17:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=21450"},"modified":"2022-10-21T15:47:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T22:47:51","slug":"hike-the-washington-side-of-the-columbia-river-gorge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/hike-the-washington-side-of-the-columbia-river-gorge","title":{"rendered":"Hike the Washington Side of the Columbia River Gorge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the summer, a wildfire ravaged nearly 50,000 acres of the Columbia River Gorge<\/a>. It will be months, if not years, before some of the area\u2019s best-loved hikes reopen. And even when they do, the Gorge\u2019s celebrated viewpoints of the 4,000-foot-deep canyon through the Cascade Mountains won’t look quite the same.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you need your Gorge fix while restoration work continues in Oregon, there’s good news: The Washington side of the Gorge, just north of the Columbia River, remains mostly unscathed. <\/span>Renee Tkach, project manager for the Gorge Towns to Trail effort at <\/span>Friends of the Columbia Gorge<\/span><\/a>, says the Washington side offers a change of pace. \u201cThe Washington side is slower,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a little more of a step back in time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five hikes for exploring the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cape Horn Loop<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Survey the damage done by the Eagle Creek Fire along the Cape Horn Loop.\u00a0Numerous vantage points along the lower portion of the trail reveal sweeping views of the western edge of the Gorge, where large swaths of charred snags remain amongst the blankets of fir trees for which the region is known.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to cheer up, the 7-mile Cape Horn Loop offers plenty to love in its own right: Hikers on the upper portion of the trail trek through thick forests of bigleaf maple trees and pastoral meadows\u2014Tkach calls it \u201cone of the most amazing fall hikes,\u201d due to the colorful maple trees along the way\u2014while the lower section shows off the cascading Cape Horn Falls.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Corner Rock<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the crowded parking lots at Dog Mountain and Cape Horn fill you with dread, head north from the Columbia River and check out the comparatively empty Three Corner Rock hike.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll earn your post-hike beer\u2014the trail gains 3,200 feet over 8.6 miles\u2014but we think you’ll find the hidden scenery worth the effort. Most of the trail hovers under a forest canopy, but other natural features abound. \u201cYou go along this beautiful rock creek, and there are all kinds of little waterfalls as you make your way up there,\u201d Tkach says.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trail ends at Three Corner Rock, where you’ll enjoy 360-degree views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Jefferson, and other Cascade peaks. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog Mountain<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No bucket list of Gorge hikes is complete without a nod to Dog Mountain. Even with 2,800 feet of elevation gain over roughly 3 miles, Dog Mountain attracts hikers by the hundreds every spring, due largely to its stunning wildflower blossoms. Bright yellow balsamroot covers much of the mountainside every May and June, with violet lupine adding to Mother Nature\u2019s electric palette.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dog Mountain is a popular trail for its fields of wildflowers, but the hike offers impressive views all year long. Photo: Jeff Hollett, Flickr<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tackle the trek in mid- or late-October, though, and you may not encounter another hiker. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be hiked for only one month of the year,\u201d Tkach says. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to go in the fall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it lacks in blossoms, Dog Mountain makes up for with wide-open views. Sweeping vistas of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens await tenacious hikers at the summit, and the meadow makes an ideal lunch stop\u2014assuming the weather cooperates (pack layers in case it doesn’t).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyle Cherry Orchard<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If another week of rain has you jonesing for sun, head a little further east to the <\/span>Lyle Cherry Orchard<\/span><\/a>, some 80 miles east of downtown Portland. As Tkach puts it: \u201cWhen it\u2019s raining in Portland and you\u2019re about ready to lose it because you haven\u2019t seen the sun in weeks, it\u2019s typically going to be sunny there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll gain about 1,500 feet of elevation over 2.5 miles, hiking through oak groves and cherry orchards along the way. \u201cIt\u2019s more of the smaller, more twisted and configured oaks, and it\u2019s beautiful starting in the fall, when the leaves are changing,\u201d Tkach says. \u201cAnd when the leaves fall, it\u2019s a magical forest.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you arrive at the summit, you\u2019ll enjoy views of The Dalles, Rowena Crest, and the wider Gorge region.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a south-facing slope and predisposition for sunny days, Lyle Cherry Orchard remains accessible most of the winter, if not all year long. In fact, Tkach recommends tackling the hike in January\u2014and pairing your trek with a stop at Cor Cellars<\/a>, which hosts a tasting room at the mouth of the Klickitat River. The views are beautiful any time of year, but January is peak mating season for bald eagles, and Tkach says that visitors can even see them from the winery.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catherine Creek<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nestled near the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge, the Catherine Creek network of trails sits at the confluence of two distinct ecosystems: Once you\u2019ve ascended to a ridgeline overlooking the Gorge, you\u2019ll see arid, khaki-colored rock formations to the East\u2014and verdant forests and miles of green hillsides to the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just that, but you\u2019ll barely break a sweat in enjoying those views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most popular loop starts Old Highway 8, passes a rickety wooden homestead, offers views of a dramatic natural arch cleaved into the hillside, and ascends roughly 750 feet onto a wide-open meadow. From here, hikers can choose among a wide swath of interconnected trails, few of which ever leave the hillside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like the nearby Lyle Cherry Orchard, Catherine Creek remains (mostly) snow-free and accessible all year long\u2014and the area\u2019s popular wildflower displays may bloom as early as January.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the summer, a wildfire ravaged nearly 50,000 acres of the Columbia River Gorge. It will be months, if not years, before some of the area\u2019s best-loved hikes reopen. And even when they do, the Gorge\u2019s celebrated viewpoints of the 4,000-foot-deep canyon through the Cascade Mountains won’t look quite the same. But if you need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":21473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[1519,707,727,1515,1541,143],"internal-tag":[1678],"class_list":["post-21450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-columbia-river-gorge","tag-hiking","tag-latest-posts","tag-northwest","tag-pacific-west","tag-washington","internal-tag-pre-redirect-hiking"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/hike-the-washington-side-of-the-columbia-river-gorge","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Hike the Washington Side of the Columbia River Gorge","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/hike-the-washington-side-of-the-columbia-river-gorge","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/hike-the-washington-side-of-the-columbia-river-gorge"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/10\/cape-horn.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/10\/cape-horn.jpg?fit=1700%2C1131"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["columbia river gorge","hiking","latest posts","northwest","pacific west","washington"],"dateCreated":"2017-10-10T17:37:46Z","datePublished":"2017-10-10T17:37:46Z","dateModified":"2022-10-21T22:47:51Z"},"rendered":"