Summit Springs Trail, WA

Vicinity Location:
About miles northeast of Portland, OR in the xx Forest.

Directions: From Portland this is a very long drive.

There are no bathrooms at the trailhead.

Length and Elevation:
Xx miles roundtrip. Elevation at the trailhead is xx feet. Total gain is xxx feet and loss is xxx feet. Highest elevation is zzz feet and the lowest elevation xxx feet.

Trail Maps:
Topo Map-future, Download Garmin .gpx file-future, Open Garmin .gpx file-future

Trails: Summit Springs Trail

This trail is also known as the Snass Creek Trail.

The trail begins by dropping moderately steeply off the forest Road down to Crossing a small Teri. Gently descends to the crossing. The foliage here or the underground mix of Oregon, great sword ferns Huckleberry, salmon, berries, maple, maiden, hair, fern, and Maple.

The trees are a mix of alders along the creek and older second growth hemlock trees.

Just a few minutes down the trail you come to the easy step across crossing of Snass Creek. This is the low point of the trail now you begin to climb.

Climbing up through the forest, you can see by the condition of the trail that it is popular with mountain bikes.

The trail climbs steeply in some sections and mostly level in other. In about 0.8 miles across as an old logging road that is still used by four wheelers. The logging road crosses Snass Creek on a culvert, then continues on through the forest. The salmonberries and other brush all but hide the creek and it would not be easy go get water from here.

After climbing for about 1.8 miles you reach the junction for the Summit Cutoff Trail. Turn left here and walk along a nearly flat section of Trail for a while. This trail also seems to be well brushed and the trail is very easy to follow.

Continue up through the forest to the junction of the Summit Springs Trail. From here you can either continue up to the forest Road or you can take the steeper trail back down to rejoin the Snass Creek Trail.

Going downhill the trail drops really steeply straight down the fall line for a while before leveling out a bit then dropping once again then leveling out and rejoining the main trail. You really don’t want to go up this trail and you probably don’t want to come down this trail if it is muddy.
Once back on the main trail descend back through the thick forest.

Coming back down to the stream it looks like it would be a challenge to cross it and stay dry in the winter time. There is a bold unused log across the creek just upstream that perhaps could be used. Yes creek is ever too deep.

Crossing the creek, you have to climb up out of the valley back to the Trailhead.

As you climb, the sounds of Snass Creek gurgling down the valley almost echo in the little canyon.

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