Outline for Web page on Columbia Gorge Trails - Oregon
This is from memory, with just a little help from my maps
December 26, 2004

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
See map below.
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
See map below.
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
See map below.
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
See map below.
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
Trail 2000 -- Pac Crest Tr.
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
A complex grid of many trails -- especially fine forests and views
Lower end:  Columbia Gorge Work Center -- Herman Creek Campground
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 Horsetail Falls and Creek area.
Approximate route of Rock of Ages Ridge Trail in red.
The blue "?" and line is a guess as to the Mystery Trail location.  Rock of Ages itself
is just off the map to the north of the question mark.  The Horsetail Creek Trail is at
the lower-right corner of this map.  A short piece of the Rock of Ages Trail where it
leaves Horsetail Ck Tr is also shown.
 


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.)