Beacon Rock earned its name when Captains Lewis and Clark camped in its shadow on their way to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The rock is an 848-foot basalt column that formed the core of an ancient volcano. It towers over the Columbia River, and its sheer walls were unscaled until 1901-the date of the first recorded ascent of the rock. Notably, that first climb followed the route now covered by the intricate system of paths, bridges, and stairs that make up the trail today.

The hike begins as a gentle walk through the forest as the trail leads hikers around to the southern face of the rock. Then the climbing begins. Traversing and climbing sheer rock walls, the trail is daunting to consider but easy to hike. The ironworks that make up the bridges and stairs are solid and well braced on the indestructible rock face. The trail was built between 1915 and 1918 by Henry Biddle, who owned the rock and all the land about it at the time.

The structures have been repaired, replaced, and reinforced in places over the years, but the trail built by Biddle is the one now used by thousands of recreationists every year. The route covers nearly a mile as it switches back and forth up the rock, but there are plenty of places folks can pause and catch their breath while enjoying the magnificent views of the Columbia River Gorge.

At the top the views are even better, and there is never any question that the climb is worth the effort, for even when the gorge is filled with rain or fog, the view is splendid, wrapped in mists and shrouded in mantles of gray.