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 | | Dayhikes: Elk Meadows, OR
Friday, August 20 @ 13:47:17 PDT by drew (25 reads) |  Drew writes "Vicinity Location: The trailhead is about 49 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Directions: From Portland take I-84 East to the Wood Village, exit (16A). Head south and turn left onto NE Burnside Rd.
Heading East, Burnside will merge into Highway 26. Follow Hwy 26 past Government Camp and exit on Highway 35 to Hood River.
Follow Hwy 35 for 6.6 miles, drive under the highway overpass for Mt. Hood Meadows.
Drive about 1.1 miles past the overpass and turn left into the Mt. Hood Meadows parking area, for a total of 7.7 miles from the Highway 26 and 35 junction. Drive .3 mile to the trailhead which is along the road.
Seasonally there are outhouses at the trailhead.
The parking area is large enough to accommodate a lot of cars.
A Northwest Forest Park permit is required at the trailhead.
Length and Elevation: 11.5 Miles, Elevation gain and loss totals xx Feet Trail: Elk Meadows Trail #645, Gnarl Ridge Tie Trail #652A, Gnarl Ridge Trail #652, Timberline Trail #600, Newton Creek Trail #646. Connections to Umbrella Falls Trail #667, Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647, Bluegrass Ridge Tie Trail #647B There are no known geocaches along this trail at the time of this review.
Trail Maps: National Forest Service Map, Topo Map – Future
Review: August 21, 2010 This trail becomes dusty during dry periods because of the fine volcanic soil. The first mile of this trail is relatively flat as you make your way towards Newton Creek. At .4 mile from the trailhead is a trail junction for Umbrella Falls. Continue straight ahead and cross Clark Creek on a large log bridge. The trail next crosses a few small creeks, and continue straight at the junction of Newton Creek Trail. The bridge across Newton Creek washed out several years ago but there is usually a makeshift bridge across the creek. At the time of this review there is a 12 inch wide log to cross on. The log is just above the creek so any flooding will wash away the bridge.
Once across Newton Creek, find where the trail enters the woods again and the tread becomes covered in a thin layer of forest debris which eliminates the dust. The trail immediately starts switchbacking up the ridge on the north side of the creek.
The switchbacks don’t last very long and you reach the plateau, walk through the forest for a bit and 1.75 miles from the trailhead you come to a 4-way junction with the Bluegrass Ridge Trail, #647 that goes towards Elk Mountain and the Gnarl Ridge Trail on the left. Continue straight ahead and continue to Elk Meadows.
At 1.9 miles is the trail junction for the Elk Meadows Perimiter Trail. #645. Turn right towards Pollallie Campground and follow the perimeter trail towards Elk Meadows. Following around the edge of the meadows you come to Bluegrass Ridge Tie Trail #647B at 2.4 miles from the trailhead. Turn left here and continue following the mostly level trail around Elk Meadows.
Elk Meadows is marshy along the edges where the mosquitoes like to breed but it also affords great views of Mt. Hood. At just over 2.5 miles is a trail junction to Polallie Campground, waypoint JVPOL. Turn left at this trail junction, heading back into Elk Meadows along a small stream.
The next junction is for the Elk Meadows Shelter. Go straight and walk about .1 mile, over a stream, and reach the shelter. The shelter is a wooden structure covered in cedar shakes. The 3-sided adirondak is slowly falling apart. You can see the nails pulling out of the roof and the shakes coming off the sided. The roof is mostly waterproof and there is a dirt floor with a firepit out front. The best time to see the lupines flowering at Elk Meadows would be in July. The meadows contain masses of lupines and the must look spectacular in full bloom.
Walk back to the trail junction and make a left to continue walking around the perimeter of Elk Meadows. As you cross the stream again there one more small campsite. The trail continues to skirt the meadow in the woods. Walking through the woods for the next .3 mile, look for underground streams along the trail. Looking into the holes you can see the water flowing down in the ground. Be careful not to fall in.
At 3.1 miles from the trailhead is the junction for the Gnarl Ridge Trail #652 and the continuation of the Elk Meadows Perimeter trail. Turn right and take the trail up Knal Ridge. The trail climbs fairly gently at first from Elk Meadows, then more steeply as you come onto the ridge.
At 3.5 miles from the trailhead there are some glimpses of Mt. Hood through the trees. Then in another .2 mile is the junction with the Gnarl Ridge Trail. From here you continue uphill on the trail through the volcanic soil. There still are no rocks in the trail but you can tell from the vegetation that the soil dries out quickly and doesn’t support nearly as much undergrowth as along Elk Meadows. The trees here are mainly Hemlock and Silver Fir.
Where the Gnarl Ridge trail ends at the junction with the Timberline Trail, turn right and head up the dusty trail towards Cloud Cap. Once you are on the Timberline Trail the forest opens up more as you gain elevation because the trees can’t survive the harsh winters. The lupine is changing too. It isn’t as tall as the lupine in Elk Meadows and it blooms later because of the altitude.
The Timberline Trail lazily switchbacks up through open, shady forests and small open meadows with Lupines as the trail climbs along the side of Lamberson Butte. If you take the trail early in the morning you will see deer and elk tracks from the previous night.
At about 4.9 miles the trail comes out of the woods to nice views to the east of Mt. Adams and you can see where the Gnarl Ridge fire burned 2 years ago.
Also you can see the dry plains of the Columbia Plateau. In a short distance a better view of Mt. Hood appears. After about 5.25 miles only dwarf trees or krumholtz can grou and you come out on a rocky ridge overlooking Newton Creek. From here you have unobstructed views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson.
When the trail comes out of the trees and comes out onto a sandy ridge and you can see a deep canyon off to your left then Lamberson Butte is just behind you on your left. Lamberson Butte is the point of rock behind you.
You can climb partway up Lamberson Butte and there is a nice place to sit and enjoy the panoramic views and the sounds of Newton Creek rushing through the valley below. You could climb up farther to the top of the butte for views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier.
If you would like to see a small waterfall you continue up the trail another .25 mile to some snowfields or hike up to Cloud Cap, another few miles away.
On the way back down, enjoy the panoramic views into Eastern Oregon as Mt. Hood becomes obscured by the trees. You’ll find it is much easier hiking down the trail then up. The trail soon becomes less rocky and easier to navigate.
If you’re not bringing a dog, bear right at the junction of the Gnarl Ridge Trail and the Timberline Trail and continue down the Timberline Trail. If you have a dog it is highly recommended that you follow the Gnarl Ridge Trail all the way down to Elk Meadows Trail, then turn right and retrace your way back to the trailhead.
If you choose to continue down the Timberline Trail then be sure to look up from the trail to see Mt. Hood rising above you. In the distance you can hear the waters of Newton Creek.
The trail passes underneath a rocky outcrop as you continue walking towards Mt. Hood. As you approach Newton Creek, the trail climbs about 50 feet up to the streambed. From the floodplain you are treated to wildflowers and a great view of Mt. Hood.
Follow the rock cairns to the stream crossing and once across the stream you have to use your hands to pull yourself up the steep bank on the far side. There is no way to carry a pet up or down this slope at this point of the trail. The trail picks back up on the far side of Newton Creek, a little downstream from where you cross Newton Creek. There are usually some logs to cross over Newton Creek but any high water will easily wash them away. Newton Creek is very dangerous to cross in times of high water.
From the crossing, the trail heads uphill past a lovely spring. The spring is just a couple of hundred feet away from Newton Creek. The water almost gushes out of the ground and is a great place to fill up on water without needing to filter the water.
Once across Newton Creek and past the spring the trail climbs up a couple switchbacks and meets the junction for the Newton Creek Trail #646. Go left here, leaving the Timberline Trail and follow the trail down to the Elk Meadows Trail. Look back for the last glimpses of Mt. Hood.
The trail follows a lateral moraine along Newton Creek. Lateral moraines are from when the glaciers that were once here deposited dirt and rocks along the edge of the glacier as the glacier flowed down the valley. Parts of this moraine are eroding into Newton Creek and in a couple of places the trail is about to be eroded by Newton Creek so take some care crossing these exposed area. There are a few more viewpoint of Mt. Hood back through the trees.
Traveling along the Newton Creek Trail the dry moraine soil suddenly changes to forested terrain. From here the trail descends a little more gently and the sounds of Newton Creek return. Small sections of this trail have been rebuilt after Newton Creek has washed away the trail and continues to undercut the bank in places. It is only a matter of time before more portions of the trail wash away. Be very cautious in these sections because the bank is unstable from the creek undercutting the bank.
Make sure children and pets stay away from the edge lest they get too close and the edge breaks off and plunges them 15 feet to the streambed below.
After walking along the trail, turn right at the Elk Meadow trail and walk on the fairly level trail back to the trailhead. The hard work is all done and you can enjoy your walk back over Clark Creek and back to the car.
The trail is well maintained and most all the deadfall has been cleared off the trail and there isn’t much brush along the trail.
Elk Meadows and the Gnarl Ridge Trail are fine for children and pets, as long as there is a log crossing over Newton Creek. The Newton Creek Trail has hazardous places for Children and pets.
Full review by 9/15/10 Enjoy the photos! Gallery PicsSwitchback Steve
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Dayhikes: Stone House, OR
Friday, July 09 @ 11:14:19 PDT by drew (0 reads) | Drew writes "Directions:
In Portland, OR, Take I-5 to I-405. Exit towards St. Helens onto highway US-30 W. Go about 1/3 mile, looking for the NW Vaughn Street exit. Bear Right on NW Vaughn St. Turn Left on NW 26TH AVE - go 0.1 mile. Turn Right on NW Thurman St. and go about .2 mile. Turn right onto NW 26TH AVE and turn left in one block onto NW Upshur St. Continue 2 blocks and arrive at the parking small parking area below the Thurman Street bridge. You will probably end up parking on the street.
No parking permits are needed. Parking lot fills up by 7:00 or 7:30 am on weekends.
Bathrooms are in the small green house on the right side of the park.
Mountain bikes are allowed on Leif Erikson trail and most firelanes.
Portland law requires dogs to be on a leash at all times while in the park. Dogs must be leashed prior to entering and when leaving the park. You are also required to pick up after your dog, not kick it off the trail. In actual practice, about 20% of dogs are leashed on the trails.
Length and Elevation:
7 Miles round trip. Elevation gain is about 450 feet and the loss is 50 feet to the upper junction of Dogwood Trail. Total gain and loss is 1,000 Feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 300 feet. Elevation at the upper junction of Dogwood Trail is 750 feet. High point is about 750 feet.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map - Leif Erikson Map , Topo Map – The Art Of Geography
Trail:
Lower Macleay Trail, Wildwood Trail, Dogwood Trail, Leif Erikson Trail, Aspen Trail with connections to the Wild Cherry Trail, and Holman Road.
There is at least one geocache along this trail at: N 45° 34.095 W 122° 46.115 Info at Geocaching.com
History:
There is one other large Forest Park in the United States. It is in St. Louis, MO. and is about 1,293 acres in size. Forest Park in Portland is over 5,100 acres in size. A century ago the old growth trees in the hills above Portland were being cut down for the city. Fires also burned in the park in the 1940’s and 1950’s burning over 2,000 acres. There has been support for preserving the hills as a park since the 1870’s as well as plans to develop the park for homesites. Rumors of oil created a rush to drill wells, but no oil was found. The idea of a park continued to gain favor and Forest Park was created September 23, 1948. The park was originally 4,200 acres in size and has had small tracts of land added over time and has become the largest urban forest park in the United States.
Review: August 19th, 2010
Forest Park has numerous trails throughout its length. The south end Forest Park is bounded by Washington Park which contains the Children’s Museum, Hoyt Arboretum, Oregon Zoo, Japanese Garden, Vietnam Memorial, World Forestry Center, and International Rose Test Garden. This hikes starts north of these tourist attractions.
Since this trail is within a metropolitan area, it is well maintained and gets very busy when the weather is nice. Mountain bikers, hikers and runners along with their dogs use the Leif Erikson section of this trail heavily.
There is trail signage at the trailhead showing several of the trails and trailheads. The trail starts out as a paved path and crosses under the Thurman Street bridge and past where Balch Creek disappears beneath the city.
After a short distance the trail crosses over Balch Creek and becomes a packed-dirt trail. From the bridge the trail climbs gently along the embankment, passing a nice stone bench along the creek.
In about .4 mile, the trail crosses back over Balch Creek on two small wooden bridges. From the bridges the trail continues along west bank of the creek. From the trail you can hear the pleasant noises of the summertime brook flowing along the side of the trail. After long dry periods, the plants along this section are covered in a velvety layer of fine dust from all the foot traffic on this trail.
After .75 mile is the junction with the Wildwood Trail and the Stone House. The moss-encrusted house was a public restroom built during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s. It was often vandalized and after the house was damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day storm it was closed and partially demolished.
At the Stone House, make a sharp right and head up the Wildwood Trail.
The Dogwood Trail is the next trail after the Wild Cherry Trail. Though the Dogwood Trail wasn’t signed at the time of this review, it is one of the few 4-way junctions. The junction is in a circular clearing. Turn right onto the Dogwood Trail and follow the ridge to the right for about 100 feet before dropping down and switchbacking down to Leif Erikson Drive. Turn right at Leif Erikson Drive and follow it to the trailhead.
There are limited views of the industrial area of the city along Leif Erikson Drive.
At the Thurman Street trailhead, turn right and walk along NW Aspen Avenue about .3 mile to the Aspen Trail trailhead. Follow this steep trail back up to the Wildwood Trail and turn left. Turn left again at the Stone House.
About 500 feet from the stone house is a Heritage Tree marker along Balch Creek. This shows the largest tree in Forest Park, which is a Douglas fir. The tree is 242 feet (74 m) high, and the trunk is more than 4 feet across, or just over 17 feet (5.3 m) around.
Retrace your route back to the Lower Macleay Trailhead. Since this park is in an urban area, take considerable thought before venturing off-trail. Law authorities occasionally find marijuana plants being cultivated in the park. People who cultivate these illegal plants can be very protective of their plot and don’t take kindly to people stumbling upon their crops. About 100 plants were seized in October, 2007. Overall this is a great trail for a cloudy day and very child-friendly. There are some steep hillsides but no cliffs along the downhill side of the trail. All the unleashed dogs I saw were out for a romp and not interested in other people. Enjoy the photos!! Full review by 9/2/2010 Gallery Pics - future Switchback Steve
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Dayhikes: Mazama Trail, OR
Friday, July 09 @ 11:13:45 PDT by drew (0 reads) |  Drew writes "Notice: 7/30/2010
With the heavy spring snows and cool weather earlier in the season, there is still snow on the Timberline Trail. The weather has also caused the wildflowers to be much later than normal. There aren't a lot of flowers out yet but that doesn't bother the black flies any.
Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 49 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
Directions:
From Portland take I-84 East to the Wood Village, exit (16A). Head south and turn left onto NE Burnside Rd. Heading East, Burnside will merge into Highway 26.
Follow Hwy 26 for 26.8 miles to Zigzag, turn left onto E. Lolo Pass Roadand follow the twisty paved road for about 10.4 miles to Lolo Pass where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the road and the pavement ends. About 4 miles along East Lolo Pass road large powerlines come into view and the road parallels the powerlines for the next several miles.
At Lolo Pass, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Forest Road 18. Make the next right onto Forest Road1810, though it may be signed as Forest Road 18 because the Forest Service renamed the road a few years ago. Do not continue straight over the hill past the yellow metal gate.
Drive on the 2-lane gravel Forest Road 18 for about 5.5 miles. Maps of the area may still show this as Forest Road1810. Turn right onto Forest Road1811 which begins as a narrow single-lane road going uphill.
After a 2.5 miles road 1811 passes the trailhead on the left. The trailhead sign isn’t very large so watch your odometer. Pull into the large parking area on the left.
There are no bathrooms or water at the trailhead.
A northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead.
Trail:
Mazama Trail #625, Timberline Trail #600, Eden Park Trail #600H. Connections to McNeil Point Trail.
There are no geocaches along this trail at the time of this review.
Trail Maps:
Topo Map - Future
History:
Before 1994 this trail was named the Cathedral Ridge Trail. Severe winter of 1985-86 ravaged the trees along the Cathedral Ridge and blew down hundreds of trees. Because of budget restraints the Forest Service abandoned the trail. In 1993 the Mazamas mountaineering group began repairing the trail. Thousands of hours of volunteer labor was spent to finish the project.
As part of the centennial celebration of the Mazamas organization the trail was officially renamed the Mazama Trail on September 10, 1994. Downfall clearing and restoration work continued and was finished in September 1997. The Mazamas continue to annually maintain the trail.
Review: July 25, 2010
The first part of the trail is level and has views of Mt. Hood. After about .3 mile is the signboard to register for entering the Wilderness area.
After the wilderness sign the trail ascends through a very dark forest for about .3 mile, the trail comes out to the bottom of a rockfield and takes several switchbacks to gain the top of the rockfield. The switchbacks climb up to a ridge above the Hood River and you have a nice view of the ridge to the east.
Black flies can be bothersome on this trail early in the year, but out where the breezes are there aren’t any bugs to bother your trek higher and higher. The soil becomes less rocky but dustier as the trail approaches the Timberline Trail.
The forest here is made up of Hemlock and Silver Fir trees. Looking to the north you can see the powerlines and the clearcut, but those are soon left behind as the trail gains elevation.
After walking for about 30 minutes, you reach the top of the switchbacks and the first limited views into the Hood River Valley. From this point the trail climbs directly up the ridge.
The Mazama Trail climbs more gently now along the shoulder of Mt. Hood above the Hood River canyon with glimpses into the Hood River canyon. The trail is very well maintained by the Mazamas and there is little deadfall on the trail. The last part of the Mazama Trail climbs up a steeply sloped ridge to meet with the Timberline Trail.
In early summer avalanche lilies are plentiful along the upper parts of the trail. There is a section on the lower part of the trail where the understory is almost all rhododendrons. It doesn’t look llike many bloom each spring but what a show it would be if they ever bloomed all at once.
The forest cover isn’t extremely heavy and dappled sunlight falls on the trail as you walk along. After walking about 2.2 miles, you get your first good view of Mt. Hood as the trail crests a hill and you walk through a narrow valley. The trail continues to gain elevation and turns and a great view of Mt. Hood appears about 2.8 miles from the trailhead.
As you climb up the trail, look carefully to the junction to Cairn Basin, which is on the Timberline Trail. When there is snow on the ground, it is easy to miss the junction and keep walking towards McNeil Point.
On the way to Cairn Basin, you have to cross Gee Creek, which is usually a step-across stream. Once you get to Cairn Basin there is a junction to the left that drops down to Eden Park.
Wander around Cairn Basin and find the stone shelter, one of the few left on the Timberline Trail. Cairn Basin has a nice view of Mt. Hood from the tiny stream and certain times during the summer, the meadow is filled with wildflowers.
Turn left just after crossing the tiny stream at Cairn Basin and head downhill to Eden Park. The trail to Eden Park can be partially snow covered even into July. The trail has several switchbacks so look for tracks to follow so you don’t go blundering past one of the switchbacks in case it is covered by snow. You can see Eden Park from most of the trail so if you lose the trail, just make for where the trail enters the woods just above Eden Park.
Just before you get to Eden Park there is an unmarked junction. The right fork drops down to the south end of the meadow and continuing straight ahead shortly brings you to a junction to the right that leads to the north end of the meadow. Walking in to Eden Park, it looks like an old lake that has filled in over time.
Most of this trail is in the forest and there are no real cliffs right next to the trail. Other than the elevation gain, this is a good trail for children and dogs.
Full review by 8/29/10
Enjoy the photos!!
Gallery Pics
Switchback Steve"
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Dayhikes: Hardy Ridge Trail, WA
Friday, July 09 @ 11:11:56 PDT by drew (0 reads) | Drew writes "Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 32.5 miles northeast of Portland, OR on the north shore of the Columbia River in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Directions:
From Portland take I-205 North; drive past the Portland Airport Exit and cross the Columbia River. Move over to the right lane as you cross the bridge. Take exit 27 for Vancouver/Camas and move into the left lane on the off ramp heading towards Camas. Follow SR-14 to Beacon Rock State Park which is just before Milepost 35.
Kueffler Road comes up just before the Park Headquarters of Beacon Rock State Park. This is a Y-Intersection and if you miss Kueffler Road, you can turn left about 50 feet after the Kueffler Road street sign.
To reach the Kueffler Road trailhead, follow the winding paved road uphill about 1 mile and make a right turn onto the gravel road to the equestrian trailhead. Follow the gravel road about .4 mile to a large gravel parking area. The trail is at the east end of the parking area just past the gate.
There are bathrooms at the parking lot.
Park hours are 8am to dusk and there is a gate that could be locked at night.
Length and Elevation:
8.3 miles roundtrip. Elevation gain 2,100 feet and loss of 100 feet to the turn-around point. Total gain and loss is 4,400 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 770 feet, the summit elevation is 2,770 feet. Hike can be extended .3 miles to elevation 2,957.
Trail:
Hardy Ridge Trail with connections to Hamilton Mountain Trail.
There are no geocaches along this trail at the time of the review.
Trail Map:
Topo Map
Review: July 7, 2010
The trail uses an old gravel road for about the first mile. About .3 mile from the trailhead is an old slide area that has been repaired and just after the slide area is a small mountain stream that flows underneath the road through a culvert. The dirt road continues winding uphill and at .6 mile from the trailhead the road crosses the stream again. The trees along this part of the trail are mainly Douglas Fir mixed with alders and maples.
The understory growth has Vine Maple and Filberts along with ferns and grasses. About 1.1 miles from the trailhead is a 4-way junction. Continue straight ahead uphill, passing the trails on the right and left. At 1.66 miles is another 4-way junction where the lower loop trail comes into the main trail and the Hardy Ridge Loop Trail branches off to the left. Follow this trail to the left. The dirt road now climbs up a single switchback then is fairly level and even descends a bit for the next .25 mile.
When you come to the next junction, continue uphill on the dirt road along Hardy Ridge. 3 miles from the trailhead the road ends and turns into a single trail, continuing uphill through a forest of Hemlock and Alder trees. The narrow trail climbs fairly steeply up the ridge, switchbacking up the hill. One small section of this trail is just roughed in, awaiting finishing later this year.
At 3.23 miles from the trailhead is another junction for an alternate trail that leads back to a spot about 20 feet in from where the dirt road ends. At 3.6 miles there is a small way trail off to the left leading to a viewpoint leading to nice views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. This is also the junction for the Hardy Ridge connector trail which you take on the way back and is marked JCTH6 at N45° 39.622’, W 122° 01.671.
From the junction, the trail climbs up through a large meadow filled with wildflowers in late June and July. There are great views of Mt. Hood and the entire Columbia River Gorge. The trail soon enters the trees and the trail becomes very brushy. Continue along the lightly used trail which undulates along thr ridge and pick your turnaround spot.
Returning back along the ridge trail, turn right at the Hardy Ridge Connector Trail. The trail drops down off the side of the ridge using several switchbacks. There are a couple more views of Mt. Hood before Hardy Ridge blocks views to the south.
The trail drops steeply down Hardy Ridge and intersects an old logging road. Turn left here and continue downhill. The west side of Hardy Ridge has less shade than the east side until you get back to the junction of East and West Hardy trails.
From the 4-way junction, follow the road back down to the parking lot.
Full review by 8/25/2010
Enjoy the photos!
Gallery Pics
Switchback Steve"
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Dayhikes: Lacamas Lake Park, WA
Friday, July 09 @ 11:11:21 PDT by drew (0 reads) | Drew writes "Vicinity Location:
The trailhead is about 14 miles Northeast of Portland, OR, on the southern shore of Round Lake.
Directions:
From Portland take I-205 North; drive past the Portland Airport Exit and cross the Columbia River. Move over to the right lane as you cross the bridge. Take exit 27 for Vancouver/Camas and move into the left lane on the off ramp.
Merge onto Highway 14 East toward Camas and drive 6.3 miles. Take exit 12 for Camas and go 1.7 miles. The road will change to NW 6th Ave. Turn Left on NE Garfield St (SR-500) Continue to follow WA-500 uphill for 0.1 mile. Turn Right on NE Everett St (SR-500) and drive .9 mile to the traffic light at NE Everett Street and NW Lake Road. Continue through this light and make the second right into the paved lot.
If this lot is full, there is a large overflow lot about 150 feet north of the main parking lot. To access this lot, drive across the lake and turn right on NE 35th Ave. Drive about 300 feet and turn left into the lot for additional parking.
There are bathrooms near the trailhead by the playground.
Length and Elevation: 3.7 miles roundtrip. Total gain is 410 feet and loss is 410 feet. Elevation at the trailhead is 185 feet, the summit elevation is 385 feet. Trail: Lacamas Park Trails with connections to Lacamas Heritage Trail. There are no Geocaches along this trail at the time of this review. Trail Map:
Topo Map, Vancouver Parks Lacamas Lake Park.pdf
Review: July 5, 2010 The first part of the trail is the is the urban part. From the main parking lot, walk towards Round Lake and cross over the water on a footbridge. Proceed north to NE 35th Avenue, turn right, and walk on the sidewalk uphill for about .2 mile. Turn right, enter the park and walk downhill following the lake for about .25 mile on the nicely graveled trail. This is a popular trail and you will meet plenty of people walking, jogging, or biking on the trail. The trail passes a small pier with view of the lake then the trail turns left and goes uphill. A small seasonal creek gurgles just off to the right on this uphill section. There are numbered markers with a blue faceplate that correspond to a nature guide describing plant and animal life along the trail. The guide is sometimes available at the kiosk near the bathrooms. After trudging up and down a couple of hills, just before the crest of a hill, you come to the trail junction to the camas fields. Make a left here and walk up the much narrower trail. Just at the crest of this hill is a small patch of poison oak, so be on the lookout for it. Don’t sit down or stray on this part of the trail. As always, remember to make sure your pets don’t get the sap on them because it can get on you and still cause a rash of poison oak back home. The trail climbs up and crests into a nice meadow. There aren’t any views from the meadow except of the nearby Douglas Fir trees. This side trail is surprisingly rocky and has a surprising amount of Poison Oak all through the edges of the meadow. The trail reaches the border of the park and turns right, heading downhill into the woods. The Poison Oak quickly disappears as the woodland forest cover reasserts itself. The next junction you reach is the main trail. Turn left here and the trail will soon drop down and cross over a small creek via a wide wood-planked bridge. The next junction goes off to the right and is Lower Falls Shortcut and you continue straight on the main trail just a few hundred feet to the next junction and turn right and follow the brown sign towards Lower Falls. The trail goes downhill through the woods for about .3 miles and meets up with the shortcut trail. Turn to the left, then the right and head towards the noise of the Lower Falls. About 150 feet before the falls is a small trail off to the left. Follow this trail to a viewpoint of the waterfall. This is about the best view of Lower Falls. A very short distance farther along the trail is a small waytrail that allows a slippery and potentially dangerous scramble down to the river for views of Lower Falls. Just past Lower Falls is a 4-way trail junction. Walking left, across Lacamas Creek, takes you to a bench and some picnic tables where you can have a snack and listen to the water rushing over Lower Falls. To continue on the trail, go straight at the 4-way trail junction uphill and parallel to Lacamas Creek. After following the stream for about .2 mile, the trail goes up a small creek valley crosses the head of the valley, then leads into the woods and soon parallels the creek again. The next section of the trail comes out of the woods and climbs a hill with rocky outcroppings of basalt. Wherever there is rocks and sun on this trail, there is also Poison Oak. After another .3 mile, the trail comes to the overlook of Pothole Falls on Lacamas Creek. There aren’t any good views of these falls from along the trail. Continue along this small side-trail and you’ll see it parallels the larger main trail which is just off to the right. In a short distance it will merge with the main trail leading back towards the parking lot. Follow the trail to the left, along the left, over the spillway, and continue around Round Lake. Since most of this trail is in the woods and the trail is at a low elevation, this is a good trail to choose on cloudy days early in the hiking season. Because of the poison ivy and some dropoffs along a few portions of the trail, children hiking this trail should have some experience. Enjoy the photos! Gallery PicsSwitchback Steve
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| Previous Articles | | Friday, July 09 | | · | Mazama Trail, OR |
| · | Hardy Ridge Trail, WA |
| · | Lacamas Lake Park, WA |
| Tuesday, April 06 | | · | Moulton Falls Trail, WA |
| · | Stevens Creek Trail, WA |
| · | Pioneer Bridle Trail, OR |
| · | Palmateer View Trail, OR |
| Thursday, January 21 | | · | Trillium Lake, OR |
| · | Beacon Rock, WA |
| · | Bunker Hill, WA |
| · | Wind Mountain, WA |
| · | Grove of the Patriarchs Trail, WA |
| · | Twin Firs Trail, WA |
| · | Devil's Rest via Wahkeena Falls, OR |
| Friday, October 02 | | · | Rock Creek Trail, WA |
| · | Mountaineer Trail, OR |
| · | Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail, WA |
| · | Drift Creek Falls, OR |
| Wednesday, September 16 | | · | Palisades Lakes, WA |
| · | Burroughs Mountain, WA |
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