The lower section of the Cape Horn Trail opens on July 16th following the peregrine Falcon Nesting Season. WTA and the Cape Horn Conservancy are hosting two days of volunteer trail work to brush back on the vegetation that has grown across the trail during the closure. We also maintain the trail through the talus fields each summer by moving aside loose rocks that have rolled onto the trail surface. Here are some pics of the work we do each summer. Also check out the virtual ranger video from the US Forest Service linked below.

Heard a Mountain Lion growl about two miles into the hike. Near the tree line by the private property right before reaching the first paved road. Outside of that the hike was beautiful, very lush, and the tree canopy help a little with the rain. Unfortunately when we got to the Cape Horn View the fog had set in. 

Early signs of spring with native plants beginning to bloom such as trillium, Oregon grape, and more! The trail is clear and well maintained. You will notice signs regarding seasonal closure of the lower loop through Jul 15 to protect peregrine falcon nesting habitat. 

This is such a nice trail! Unfortunately, since part of it is closed, it’s a pretty short one. My three year old loved it. We had lunch at one of the view points and went down the road to Beacon Rock afterword. It takes little effort to get up top to see some amazing views!

The trailhead is nice with plenty of parking and a restroom. 

Thank you WTA volunteers for completing a reroute around a steep and seasonally muddy stretch of the Cape Horn Trail. Thanks to financial support from the National Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program we're able to take on this project and a suite of others in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Also thank you to Forest Service Staff and the Cape Horn Conservancy for help with planning and permitting for this reroute. It truly takes a village!