This list is primarily
the trails that go from Columbia River level to the top of the gorge.
There
are more: I'll add them as I remember them
Angels Rest | Lower end: Road intersection near Bridal Veil Falls I-84
offramp
Upper end: Various trails made by Trails Club ("Trillium Tr" etc) in Devils Rest area, off Palmer Mill Rd. Also connections to Wahkeena/Multnomah Falls system of trails. |
Well-maintained
adjacent trails: some hard tofind |
Wahkeena Falls
Multnomah Falls |
Lower end: Multnomah Falls Lodge (and Wahkeena Falls parking 1/4 mi
to west)
Upper end: Multnomah Basin, Larch Mtn, Franklin Ridge -- connections to trails east and west |
Very well-maintained
paved to ridge top |
Oneonta Creek | Lower end: Horsetail Falls and trail parking just west of Oneonta Gorge
Upper end: Franklin Ridge and Yeon Mtn/Nesmith Point |
Well-maintained |
Rock of Ages Ridge
|
Lower end: About a hundred yards north of Pony Tail Falls at
sign "trail not maintained..."
Upper end: Mystery Trail -- Yeon Mtn Trail -- Horsetail Creek Trail |
primitive trail, very steep in places--much poison oak near bottom |
Mystery Trail | Lower end: ?? -- near Ainsworth Park
Upper end: Rock of Ages Trail -- at sign "Mystery Trail" embedded in tree bark. Rock climbers trail for those climbing St Peters Dome and Rock of Ages. |
Rope belay may be required. |
Nesmith Point Tr. | Lower end: Warrendale
Upper end: Nesmith Point: roads to south closed to public use: Portland water supply. |
well-maintained |
Elowah Ridge | Lower end: End of trail at top of upper Elowah Falls -- was a
bush-whack job to a clearing from which the trail became quite clear (near
some heavy equipment)
Upper end: Nesmith Point trail where it turns back away from the face of the Gorge. |
difficult route: hard to fine at upper 2/3 point: routes fan out to get past an area of very steep moss-climbing |
Munra Point | Lower end: Highway bridge over Moffett Creek
Upper end: Munra Point, about 2000' elevation--end of ridge just west of Tanner Creek |
steep, exposed climb |
Tanner-Moffett | Lower end: Tanner Ridge Road (below)--closed to public vehicular
traffic
Upper end: Top of old Rd #436 at top of ridge near Mt Talapus--Could not locate in 1980 (ca.). |
This was a primitive road used for power line maintenance. |
Tanner Ridge | Lower end: (Now) paved road near water tank just a little above
Waclella (sp?) Falls Parking
Upper end: Tanner Butte and roads and trails south (roads are closed to public use); Big Cedar |
Maintained trails |
Eagle Creek | Lower end: Eagle Creek trail head above fish hatchery
Upper end: Wahtum Lake -- Tanner Ridge and Butte (see above) Side trail: Eagle-Benson Trail to Benson Plateau |
Well-maintained
Extraordinary trail! |
Ruckel Ridge
|
Lower end: Upper end of Eagle Creek Campground
Upper end: Ruckle Creek Trail near top (Benson Plateau) |
Primitive trail--has short knife-edge section |
Ruckel Creek
|
Lower end: Old Scenic Road just east of Eagle Creek campground
at stone bridge (Ruckel Ck)
Upper end: Benson Plateau |
fair trail, but steep--possibly some maintenance |
Rudolph Ridge
|
Lower end: Poison oak patch on Dry Creek just below Falls (Town
of Cascade Locks)
Upper end: Ruckel Creek Trail (About where Ruckel Ridge Trail meets the Creek Trail)--fried-egg marks on trees at top |
very primitive route--can be very steep (exposed), especially if off route about half way up. |
Benson Plateau
|
Lower end: Columbia Gorge Work Center--USFS
Upper end: Mexico Border -- but first, Wahtum Lake and points south Extensive trail complex on Benson Plateau |
Well-maintained |
Herman Creek
Nick Eaton Ridge |
Upper end: Forest roads north of Mt Hood and south of Mt Defiance. Rainy Lake |
Some well-maintained.
Some not. |
North Lake | Lower end: Wyeth
Upper end: North Lake -- Mt Defiance -- Rainy Lake |
Well-maintained |
Mt Defiance | Lower end: Starvation Creek trailhead. (formerly Lindsey Ck,
1 mile to west) 1 route still goes that way (?).
Upper end: Mt Defiance--best route now via Cabin Creek ridge--Warren Lake and roads to south |
Well-maintained |
Viento Ridge | Lower end: upper part of Viento State Park--lower route a maze
of old logging roads
Upper end: Forest roads near Ditch and Phelps creeks--route almost impossible in 1985 |
maze of ephemeral old roads virtually impossible to follow |
Wygant Trail | Lower end: Vinzenz Lausmann Forest Park at Mitchell Point
Upper end: Forest Roads above Green Point Reservoir |
poor trail in 1985
may have been improved? |
USGS
map of Ruckel and Rudolph Ridges area.
Approximate routes
of Ruckle and Ruldolph ridge trails in reddish blue.
Ruckel Ridge
trail (route) starts at upper end of campground near the power line.
Rudolph Ridge
trail (route) leaves the Dry falls road through a shallow gully.
It is little more than a beaten path--it goes through quite a bit of poison
oak. When it turns left up to the ridge top, it is quite steep and
somewhat exposed. This is one of the more difficult routes in the
Gorge. It's often hard to locate--and it's steep and somewhat slick
if wet. It has painted circles on trees to locate the route for the
last half mile or so at the top.
(Note the dotted
route: that might be the correct way: I don't remember for sure.)