Latest trails and conditions

sa Latest trails and conditions

Northwest Hiker
Hiking News

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12/2/22 Mt. Rainier Winter Access Car access to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park will be closed on weekdays this winter due to staffing challenges.
10/21/22 Nesmith Point and Wyeth Trails Re-Open Nesmith Point and Wyeth Trails reopened on October 20th, 2022 for the first time since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.
5/14/22 Eagle Creek Trailhead Closed The US Forest Service announced that the Eagle Creek Trail is temporarily closed due to a significant landslide.
6/18/21 Iron Mtn Trail Improvements The US Forest Service just completed trail improvements to the Iron Mtn. Loop trail. From the Tombstone SnoPark the western access to the loop trail has been relocated and improved.
2/1/21 Climbing Permits Limited The US Forest Service announced Friday that in 2021 fewer climbing permits will be issued in peak season for climbing Mount St. Helens. This is an effort to reduce crowds and parking during the coronavirus pandemic.
1/14/21 Eagle Creek Area Closed The Eagle Creek Recreation Area and the Eagle Creek Trail are closed until further notice in order to remove debris deposited from flooding and repair damage sustained following a rainstorm that took place earlier this week.
1/1/21 Popular Gorge Trails Re-open Several popular trails in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area will open today (1/1/21). Trails re-opening today include the Eagle Creek Trail, the Wahclella Trail, the Gorge 400 Trail, the Larch Mountain Trail between Multnomah Falls, and the Wahkeena Trail.
11/12/20 Saddle Mountain Saddle Mountain State Natural Area is closed until further notice due to staff and funding shortages related to Covid-19.
10/22/20 Neahkahnie Mountain Hiking from highway 101 up to the summit of Neahkahnie Mountain outside of Manzanita, Oregon is closed due to wind damage from winter storms.
7/26/20 Fire Damage Closes Many Hikes Hikes in the McKenzie River and Sweet Home area are closed due to fire damage.(Beachie Creek, Lionshead & Holiday Farm Fires)
3/26/20 Mt. Hood National Forest Closed Mount Hood National Forest is joining other agencies and closing all trails and day-use areas. Closures will affect all trailheads, sno-parks, day-use areas, campgrounds, fire lookouts and cabins within the national forest.
3/24/20 Skamania County Hiking Closed By order of the Skamania County Health Officer, recreational hiking in Skamania County is now closed effective on March 23rd, 2020.
3/23/20 Waterfall Corridor The Columbia River Gorge Waterfall Corridor has been closed today to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. (3/23/2020) The area closed starts a Bridal Veil and goes to Ainsworth State Park.
2/24/20 Paradise Open Access to Mount Rainier is back open! (2/24/2020) Once again you can drive through Longmire to Paradise as road SR706 has been repaired enough to let visitors through.
11/27/19 Gifford Pinchot The U.S. Forest Service has announced thier six year plan for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Click on this headline for the full story.
11/26/19 Climbers Bivouac The Climbers Bivouac at Mount St. Helens is now closed due to snow on the road. Marble Mountain Sno-Park is the preferred starting location for winter and spring climbing.
08/26/19 Wahclella Falls Wahclella Falls Trail, a popular waterfall hike in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, reopened today for the first time since Eagle Creek Fire
06/06/19 Table Mountain Trips reports say that the flowers are in bloom on Table Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Also a bear was photographed in the area.
06/05/19 Angel's Rest Closed The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area announced the temporary closure of the Angel’s Rest Trail and nearby Palmer Mill Road on Thursday morning. Authorities are searching for the cougar, which reportedly killed at least one goat Wednesday night.
05/31/19 Multnomah Falls trail The Larch Mountain Trail that leads from the base of Multnomah Falls to an upper falls viewpoint has reopened, as well as a section of the Wahkeena Trail that runs above the waterfall.
05/29/19 Larch Mountain Road Late last week, the upper section of the Larch Mountain Road in the Columbia River Gorge opened to the publich for the first time since the Eagle Creek fire..
05/28/19 Beargrass Beargrass is blooming on the Elk/King Traverse and at Saddle Mountain coastal hikes, however Beargrass collectors are actively harvesting it too. Hurry to the mountains before it is gone.
05/23/19 Mount St. Helens Rules have changed for hiking and backpacking from the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens National Monument. You now need to check-in at the Observatory and purchase an $8 wrist band to visit the area. Interagency Annual, Senior, and Access Passes are honored when presented with valid photo identification, but you still have to check-in first and get your wrist band.
05/14/19 Multnomah Falls The lower viewing platform at Multnomah Falls will be closed today for public access while crews break up a rock overhanging the cliffs above a trail that leads to the upper falls.
05/10/19 Permits Required! A decision has been reached by the Forest Service that a permit will be required to camp anywhere in the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, and Mount Jefferson wilderness areas beginning in 2020. Also, 19 of the most popular trailheads in the three wilderness areas will require permits for day hiking. A limited amount of permits will be available at each trailhead costing at least $6.
04/10/19 Balsamroot The first blooming Balsamroot flowers have been spotted this week on the eastern end of the Columbian River Gorge National Scenic Area. Click here to see the hike the flowers were spotted.
04/06/19 Multnomah Falls Popular hiking trails at Multnomah Falls will be closed indefinitely after a rockslide Friday morning 4/5/19. This closure includes nearby Wahkeena Falls trail to Multnomah Falls until further notice.
03/28/19 Permit Quotas A possilbe new normal of hiking trailhead permit quotas may go into effect in Oregon for over 80 trailheads starting in 2020. Areas being considered are Three Sisters Wilderness, Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Mount Washington Wilderness.
03/21/19 Discovery Pass Washington State is launching a pilot program making family Discover Passes available through a select number of public libraries. These passes will be available at the Pierce County Library, Spokane city and county libraries, and the Mount Vernon Public Library.
03/1/19 Dog Mountain Permits The U.S. Forest Service released online permits today at www.recreation.gov for visitors interested in hiking Dog Mountain on weekends from April 20 to June 16 this year.
12/28/18 New Resource Just out is a new website offering climbing tips and navigational resources for those who spend time in the mountains. The site is packed full of information for the Pacific NW. Even if you are not a mountain climber, you should visit this site just for the photographs.
12/24/18 CalTopo App Caltopo is coming to smartphones. An Android version is now ready for testing on Google Play. You can download it now for free. The Apple iOS will hopefully be available by summer 2019.
12/24/18 Saddle Mountain Trail Report As of 12/23/18 there are many branches down on the trail, and in one spot a tree has fallen taking out most of the trail.
12/24/18 Clark Creek Bridge A tree has fallen on the Clark Creek Bridge near Mt. Hood Meadows on the way to Newton Creek. See photo on the Northwest Hiker Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Northwest-Hiker-167444993317903/
12/01/18 Mirror Lake Permit The Mirror Lake Trailhead near Government Camp currently requires no permit of any kind. The type of permit required is yet to be determined.
11/23/18 More Gorge Trails Open For the first time since Eagle Creek Fire, six miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway and several popular trails near Multnomah Falls reopened. Gorge trails opening today include the well-known Angels Rest, Wahkeena, and Larch Mountain Trail.
11/08/18 New Mirror Lake Trail access The Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Western Federal Lands opened the new trail and facility to allow access to the Mirror Lake Trailhead. The new parking area has room for fifty cars and a restaurant nearby. More details and updated web page to follow soon. Click on this announcement for details.
9/23/18 Android App now available NWHiker is now available for the Android Smart phone as well as for Apple users. Click on this announcement for details.
9/21/18 ODFW ends cougar hunt ODFW is ending cougar capture operations in Zigzag because all available evidence shows the cougar killed last Friday, Sept. 14 is the one responsible for the state’s first fatal cougar attack.
9/13/18 Hunchback Mountain Area Closure The U.S. Forest Service has closed National Forest land in the Hunchback Mountain Area as the search continues for a cougar that killed a hiker.
6/29/18 More trail open About 18 more trails have opend through the Eagle Creek Burn Fire. Please click here for a PDF of open trails plus more information.
6/28/18 Benson Bridge Open The Historic Benson Bridge, located between upper and lower Multnomah Falls, reopened today (6/28/18) for the first time since the Eagle Creek Fire. The remainder of the Larch Mountain Trail, which continues up to the upper viewing platform, remains closed due to damaged sustained by last year’s 48,000-acre Eagle Creek Fire, which increased hazards of rockfall, falling trees, and landslides in areas where burned vegetation destabilized the Gorge’s naturally rocky slopes.
6/26/18 PCT open through burn The PCT IS OPEN through the Eagle Creek Burn Fire. There are still detours around the Mount Jefferson area.
6/20/18 PCT openings Sections of the Pacific Crest Trail have now been opened around Cascade Locks after the Eagle Creek Fire.
6/10/18 Mt. Mitchell open There is now a very old, but new to us non-maintained trail via the Sugarloaf trail that gets you to the summit of Mt. Mitchell in 7.3 miles round trip with 2026 feet of gain. Information available on the Apple iOS Northwest Hiker App and NWH website.
5/27/18 Mazama Trail Accessible The Mazama Trail #625 up Cathedral Ridge towards Carin Basin and McNeil Point is now accessible. As of this writing you will reach snow between 4500' and 5000' elevation.
5/22/18 Gifford Pinchot NF Questionnaire Let your opinion be heard. The U.S. Forest Service has created a questionnaire to get your input about what you would like to see happen in the forest.
5/18/18 Three Gorge Hike Open Starvation Ridge Trail (#414), Defiance Trail (#413) and Mt. Hood Lakes have just reopened. Also Several short trails leading to Wahtum, Black, Bear, North, Rainy, and Warren Lakes on the Mt. Hood National Forest also reopened, along with the lakes themselves.
5/11/18 Road Closure The Lawrence Lake Road is closed (at waypoint 45.4641, -121.6262)for repair for the entire hiking season. This impacts the Pinnicle Ridge Trail and the Elk Cove Trail.
5/8/18 Johnston Ridge Observatory status The Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens is scheduled to open May 16th.
5/7/18 Tarbell Trail partial closure The Tarbell Trail will be closed from milepost 11-12 (between the Grouse Vista Trailhead and L-1070 Road Intersection) due to a collapsed bridge. The Washington Department of Natural Resources are working toward a solution.
4/15/18 Sandy River Bridge The bridge over that Sandy River that let's hikers into Burnt Lake, Ramona Falls and the campgrounds was opened on April 13th. Normally, this gate is open April 1st, but snow levels keep the date open to change.
4/4/18 Grouse Creek Vista Access The road to Grouse Creek Vista Trail Head (1200) from the southeast is closed for repair. Hence, if you are planning a snow shoe to Silver Star Mountain, you must approach from the west.
4/2/18 Washington State Parks fee free days Washington State Parks has announced the following free days, when the Discover Pass will not be required to visit a state park. April 14 — Spring day, April 22 — Earth Day and many more. Click to see.
3/30/18 Gorge Hike Availablity Map The U.S. Forest Service just came out with a new map that shows at a glance what hikes are available in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
3/27/18 Dog Mountain Shuttle Perks The weekend Dog Mountain Shuttle begins on March 31, 2018. This year there are discounts on food and drink in Stevenson, Washington if you use the Dog Mountain Shuttle. See the Northwest Hiker Facebook Page.
3/20/18 Multnomah Falls Viewing Area Open Visitors can once again view Multnomah Falls with no fence in the foreground, as the lower viewing platform is now open. The lower viewing platform, located at the base of the falls, has been closed to the public since September 4, two days after the start of the Eagle Creek Fire.
3/15/18 Bridge Toll Increase The Hood River Bridge across the Columbia River has increased the bridge toll from one dollar to two dollars.
3/7/18 Dog Mountain Fees The US Forest Service will now start requiring a permit to hike Dog Mountain trail on the weekend. This is due to over-crowding on the mountain.
3/5/18 New Gorge Hiking Map Friends of the Columbia Gorge have built a new map to what hikes are available and what hikes are closed. This is a helpful visual tool in planning a gorge hike.
2/24/18 New Mount Rainier Web Cam A new web cam is now available on NW Hiker of Mount Rainier. It shows the Paradise Visitor Center looking at it from the Paradise Lodge.
2/11/18 NW Hiker for iOS NW Hiker is now available for iOS users in APP form. That means it will work on your iPhone and iPad. The new app has powerful features which are not available on the web site.
2/5/18 Trail Assesment The United States Department of Agriculture has published a web page with detailed information about Eagle Creek Fire trail assessment in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
2/1/18 Grass Widow Flowers Friends of NW Hiker have reported that the grass widow flowers have started blooming at Coyote Wall in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
1/30/18 Mount St. Helens Permits Permits to go above 4800' on Mount St. Helens go on sale Thursday, February 1, 2018. The total permit fee of $22 per person includes a service charge.
1/19/18 Gorge Hikers Cited So far about 49 people have received $280 trespassing citations for hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.
11/16/17 Available Gorge Hikes With so many hikes closed in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, here is a list of hikes that are open.
11/10/17 Columbia River Gorge Trail Report Click on this entry to see a PDF file of the trail conditions in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area as of November 9, 2017.
10/12/17 Columbia River Gorge Recovery SOLVE non-profit organization is rounding up volunteers to work in the gorge to help repair the damage from the 2017 forest fires.
9/9/17 Trail Maintenance Needed The forest fires have done major damage to the hiking trails in the Pacific Northwest. Much help will be needed to open the trails to the public again.
8/23/17 Senior Pass price change On August 28, 2017, the price of the America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass increased for the first time since 1994.
8/11/17 Mount Adams Wilderness Backpackers in the Mount Adams Wilderness report that mosquitos and flies were pretty bad.
8/10/17 Goat Rock Wilderness Backpackers in the Goat Rock Wilderness report that mosquitos were unbearable. They packed up their tents and drove two hours south to avoid them.
7/31/17 Mount Jefferson closure The White Water Trail Head which leads into Jefferson Park is closed indefinitely due to fire.
7/22/17 Fire Closures Here is a link to many of the fire closures in the state of Oregon. This is a must read before you go camping.
7/19/17 Mirror Lake Trailhead The popular Mirror Lake Trailhead on Mount Hood is going to Relocate, with New, Safer Parking Facilities.
7/18/17 Columbia River Gorge Trail Report Click on this entry to see a PDF file of the trail condions in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area as of July 18, 2017.
7/12/17 Forest Service proposes permits The U.S. Forest Service is seeking to limit the number of hikers in Oregon's wilderness by requiring permits for popular areas. The plan would require a permit to hike or backpack in the Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Three Sisters, Diamond Peak and Waldo Lake wilderness as reported by The Statesman Journal.
7/6/17 Eagle Creek Trail Report Please be aware that there is a fire of approimately five acres on Eagle Creek Trail #440 near Seven and a Half Mile Camp on the Mt. Hood National Forest. The Mt. Hood Forest Service has implemented a signed legal area closure that impacts several trails in Mt. Hood National Forest. Many of these trails are commonly accessed from the National Scenic Area. Closed trails include Eagle Creek Trail #440, starting at the boundary with Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness (to the north) and extending south to its terminus at the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. The closure will include adjacent trails Eagle Benson #434, Indian Springs Trail #435, Eagle Tanner Trail #433, and Tanner Butte #401, south of Tanner Butte. The Pacific Crest Trail remains open.
6/27/17 Bear Grass Bloom There are trip reports that indicate bear grass is in bloom at Mary's Peak, Henline Mountain, Crescent Mountain and Dome Rock.
6/8/17 Whitewater Trail Head Open In the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, the Whitewater trail head and the Crown Lake trail head are both accessible as of June 7, 2017.
5/29/17 Dog Mountain popular Flowers are out in force at Dog Mountain and everyone is going. As early as 7:30 AM on Monday 5/29/17 the parking lot of Dog Mountain was in an overflow state. It is best to take the shuttle, or perhaps go mid-week.
5/7/17 Oneonta Gorge closed The non-official trek up Oneonta Gorge is closed for public safety due to flash flood conditions that destabilized the upper canyon and carried rocks, fallen trees, and debris with it. The area is closed to the public until the forest service is able to re-assess the stability of the upper part of the slot canyon and ensure the risk of flash floods has subsided. News reports and video are available on the internet.
5/2/17 Tom McCall Point Trail open As of May 1st, the Gibbons Creek full loop trail and Tom McCall Point trail have been reopened after seasonal winter closures.
4/16/17 Tom McCall Point Trail closure Seasonal trail closure - the Tom McCall Point trail is now closed and will reopen on May 1, 2017.
4/7/17 Digital Trail Pass Now available for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (only) is a digital trail pass. This new partnership allows you to get you trailhead day pass on your computer before you leave home to go hiking. It also works on your smart phone. Check it out!
3/28/17 Elowah Falls A section of the trail leading to Elowah Falls has completely washed away. The trails leading to Upper McCord Creek Falls and Nesmith Point are open for use.
3/28/17 Elowah Falls A section of the trail leading to Elowah Falls has completely washed away. The trails leading to Upper McCord Creek Falls and Nesmith Point are open for use.
3/20/17 Trail Closure Eagle Creek Trail is closed past Punchbowl Falls due to slides.
3/7/17 Eclipse Preparation A new web site is available which is quite good for your preparation for viewing the August solar eclipse that is coming to Oregon. Click on this post to go to the link.
2/9/17 Trailhead Closure The Columbia River Gorge trailheads for Aldrige Butte and Table Mountain in Washington State have been closed due to a change in ownership of the land. Access to those trailhead should now be done via the PCT and Tamanous Trail from a trailhead near the Bonneville Dam
1/27/17 Senior Pass The lifetime national parks pass for seniors is scheduled to get a substantial price increase. Currently the price is $10 for those 62 and older, but the cost will jump to $80 within the next twenty months.
1/21/17 New Trails A new trailhead will be built for Mirror Lake and will start at Ski Bowl. The re-route is planned for 2017-2018. The build will take two years. There will be a new a new bridge at Tish Creek.
1/16/17 June Lake Trail If you are trying to get to June Lake in Washington for a snow shoe, you might appreciate knowing that the road is closed at the junction of FR81 and FR830.
1/4/17 Eagle Creek Trail A major landslide has happened along the trail near the Metlako Falls Viewpoint. The Eagle Creek Trail itself has not been impacted and is currently still open, however the size and extent of the landslide is most impressive. There are photos available.
12/31/16 Tamanawas Falls Trail A rock fall has happened along the trail near the Tamanawas Falls. The trail has be offically closed, but with the heavy snow, I am told that the trail is still passible through deep snow.
12/16/16 Mt Rainier cell coverage Mount Rainier National Park considers installing cell towers in Paradise visitors center. This is your chance to make your opinion heard in the comment period.
11/24/16 Tree Planting Team up with Friends of Trees to plant native trees and shrubs at Veteran’s Creek (9795 SE Mt Scott Blvd) in the salmon-bearing Johnson Creek Watershed. Breakfast snacks, hot chocolate/coffee, gloves, and tools provided. All you need to bring is yourself, dressed for the weather, with sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Sign-up here. Questions? Contact Lea Wilson, lea.ione.w@gmail.com
11/20/16 2017 Solar Eclipse Oregon State Parks have published a web page to show the status of the campgrounds within the path of the August 2017 solar eclipse. state park campers can make reservations for campsites, yurts, and cabins to enjoy the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse.
11/17/16 Larch Mountain Road Closure Multnomah County Transportation will close the upper section of Larch Mountain Road in the Columbia Gorge on Wednesday, November 23 for the winter season. The closure will be in place by 3 pm. Every autumn the county closes upper Larch Mountain Road by installing a snow gate near mile post 10. The closure protects the traveling public from adverse weather conditions and reduces maintenance costs associated with snow removal. The gate is opened each spring.
10/23/16 Aspen Trees As of Saturday 8/21/16 photographer Darryl Lloyd reports that the Aspen Trees are at their prime in the Mount Adams area.
10/03/16 Elliot Glacier The ropes have been removed on both sides of the Elliot Glacier on Mount Hood for the Timberline Trail. Please be prepared for this when crossing the Elliot Glacier.
09/30/16 Westside Road Info In Mount Rainier National Park there is active work being done on the Westside Road of the park. A new metal bridge has been installed and the road has been smoothed and graded. Hopes are that this road will be open for driving, but for now, it is in great shape for riding a bicycle to one of the many trailheads along the road.
08/29/16 Indian Heaven Road Info Reports are that National Forest Road 6035 has a washout which is located 0.8 miles beyond the junction with the Forlorn Lake entrance. One needs a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle to safely navigate the washout.
08/08/16 Lillie Basin trailhead Reports are that the road to the Lillie Basin Trailhead, FR48, in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington State, has been repaired and is now accessible in a regular car.
08/05/16 Temporary Bridge Closure The Bridge of the Gods will be closed for one hour this Sunday, August 7, 2016 from 7:45am to 8:45am. These times indicate a full bridge closures to all vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians for an approved paid event, the Annual Bridge of the Gods Run.
07/24/16 Paradise at Mount Rainier As of this writing, the flowers are not quite out yet at Mount Rainier National Park in the Paradise area. Road construction on road, so check for the delays.
07/11/16 Bridge of the Gods As of July 1, 2016, the cost to cross the bridge has increased to two dollars.
07/05/16 Bear Grass. Bear Grass is blooming in Mount Hood's Paradise Park. Send me your sighting and I will post them.
06/23/16 Road Open. Oregon's Old McKenzie Highway (OR242) is open for the season. They now offer a YouTube to go along with the road opening.
6/20/16 Jefferson Park Bear Grass is starting to bloom along the trail to Jefferson Park. The park itself is mostly snow covered, and the lakes are mostly frozen. All downed trees have been cleared on the trail up to the park. Indian Paint Brush is in full bloom along the trail.
5/30/16 Lost Lake If you are chomping at the bit to see some Bear Grass in bloom, then head up to Lost Lake in the Mt. Hood National Forest. You will not be disappointed.
5/24/16 Larch Mountain Road Starting Thursday afternoon, 5/26/16, Multnomah County will reopen the upper section of Larch Mountain Road by 4:30 PM. Larch Mountain Road is the highest road in Multnomah County’s jurisdiction. Each winter, the county closes public access to recreation areas off upper Larch Mountain Road by installing a snow gate near milepost 10. Reopening the gate provides vehicle access all the way to the view parking lot at milepost 14.5 and the walking trail to Sherrard Point.
05/21/16 Gorge Transit Link. Starting Friday morning, 5/27/16, the Columbia Gorge Express bus service begins round-trip service linking the Gateway Transit Center with Rooster Rock State Park and Multnomah Falls.
05/13/16 Beacon Rock Opens! Starting Saturday morning, 5/14/16, the trail to the summit of Beacon Rock will be re-opened.
05/09/16 Road Closure. Forest Road 23 in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest will be closed for the remainder of 2016. Please read entire article linked here.
05/03/16 Beacon Rock. Still closed for public access. Read details at this link.
04/17/16 Bear Sighting. Mazama hikers reported seeing three brown bears (2 large, 1 smaller) on the PCT aprox MP2161 near 3-corner rock on Sunday.
04/14/16 Munra Point. As of Tuesday 4/13 there are lots of Glacier Lilies, pink Phlox, Indian Paintbrush, and the poison oak isn't to bad yet. Balsamroot flowers are in full bloom in hikes near The Dalles.
03/31/16 Cougar Sighting in the Gorge. On Wednesday, March 30th, around noon, two hikers were headed out to the Angel's Rest viewpoint on trail # 400/415. They were approximately 1 mile past the trail junction with the Wahkeena Trail # 400/420 on an uphill section of the trail when we spotted the cougar on the trail that msut have weighed between 50 and 100 pounds.
03/29/16 Elk King Trail Maintenance. Help maintain our adopted trail in the Coast Range. Ten to fifteen volunteers needed to clear drains, trim brush, and repair tread work.
03/28/16 WET Bus. West End Transit (WET) bus seasonal transit service will begin April sixtenth. The bus provides transportation the the Dog Mountain trailhead and others.
03/14/16 Trail Maintenance. PCT Sawyer Certification Class: April 2-3. Estacada USFS office. Apply online. Free.
03/14/16 Eagle Creek Trail. The Tish Creek Bridge is probably going to be replaced this coming fall (by helicopter). That is the rumor, as the creek can really get flowing fast, and there is a 10' waterfall just under the old twisted bridge. That makes conditions dangerous at high water flow. As a note, last year approximately 40,000 hikers filled out wilderness permits, but we know most people don't hike that far, so the numbers to Punchbowl Falls and High Bridge could be much higher.
03/13/16 Nick Eaton Trail. Nick Eaton Trail was severely thrashed by tree fall just up from the trailhead. A work party cleared much of it last week, but there is more to go. Some of the trees appear to be old growth.
03/12/16 Best Gorge Hikes. Statesman Journal publishes what it says are the 13 best Columbia River Gorge Hikes.
03/10/16 Eagle Creek Trail. Statesman Journal reports that trail will be closed for over a year. Please see 2/29/16 news story below.
03/04/16 Owyhee River. Free public presentation and film about hiking this area on Wednesday 3/23 in Portland at Base Camp Brewery.
03/02/16 Starvation Creek Trailhead. ODOT has started work on the State Trail Reconnection Project along the abandoned section of the Historic Columbia River Highway from Lindsay Creek to Starvation Creek. The following trails are closed Mondays - Fridays until August 31 of this year: Mt. Defiance #413, Starvation Creek #414 and Starvation Cutoff #414B.
03/02/16 Columbia Hills State Park. Crawford Oaks trailhead off of Hwy 14 is closed due to a washout. Closure is expected to last another 2-3 weeks.
03/02/16 Upper McCord Creek Falls. The trail leading up to Upper McCord Creek Falls is currently closed due to a land slide. Nesmith Point trail and Elowah Falls trail remain open at this time.
03/01/16 Beacon Rock Trail. The Beacon Rock trail to the summit is still closed due to storm damage last fall. No projected re-open date at this time.
02/29/16 Class Chainsaw and crosscut saw safety training class is being offered as part of the Saw Training and Certification for trail maintenance volunteers. It is happening Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at REI Clackamas Community Room.
02/29/16 Eagle Creek Trail. The bridge at milepost 2.0 (Tish Creek), just past Punchbowl Falls on the Eagle Creek trail, is out of commission. Please do not attempt to cross the creek even though the trail is open. It is very risky.
02/28/16 Hamilton Mountain. There is a tree down on the small trail that leads up to the viewing platform at pool of the winds. It has damaged the fence which is there. That area is caution taped off, it looks passable but the ground looks loose. Looks like it was a combination of the tree falling and rock fall. Other than the view point it does not impact the Hamilton Mt hike. There is still snow on the top of the mountain.
02/25/16 Ten best As Spring approaches, here is a Portland Monthly article on the Eight Best Wild Flower Hikers.
02/23/16 Movie Free public viewing of documentary "Behind the Emerald Curtain" on Wednesday 02/24 at 7PM. The film examines logging practices in Oregon.
02/19/16 Fresh snow fall in the cascades. Lower elevation snow at Mt Bachelor is perfact for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing.
02/07/16 Flowers Grass Widows in bloom at Catherine Creek
Jan 2016 Mt. Rainier All vehicles traveling to Paradise Inn @ Mt Rainier must have chains in vehicle even though the vehicle is four wheel drive with studded tires.
Fall 2015 Romona Falls. Ramona Falls Bridge not to be replaced

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