Are you looking for a pretty hike to do before heading to Seattle from Portland? This is it! The Saturday after Thanksgiving we were looking for this very thing, and Cape Horn is 30min from Portland then 3 hours to Seattle.

Trail is in great condition today and almost no wind made this a great experience. However it’s pretty rocky and steep in some sections so if it were raining or slick I wouldn’t recommend it in the future. We went Upper Trail first to get the hard work out of the way, then enjoyed a nice several mile gentle descent. Seemed like most other folks were doing that today, too. Not busy at all!

Beautiful day, nice close lot, TP stocked in the bathrooms too!

Started at upper trailhead and hiked clockwise loop.  Trail was in great shape with a couple muddy spots but no obstacles. 

Sunny day and beautiful hike.  However, the east wind was a constant 25 mph with gusts to 40 especially at the view points and lower trail.  Perhaps a 1/2 dozen trees across the trail.  While they were only a minor obstacle, its a reminder that during periods of high wind such as the last two days, falling trees and branches are an objective danger.

I joined a WTA Work Party on the upper Cape Horn Trail on 11/3/22.  Our party of ~ 24 volunteers improved drainage, brushed and rebuilt some problem areas of the trail.  Overall it was a very productive day and we almost missed the rain.  Lots of happy hikers on the trail today.  The trail is in good shape.  

This popular trail can be accessed by parking at the Park and Ride off of Salmon Falls Rd (via SR 14, east of Vancouver). There is parking for about 20+ cars, with a side lot for a few larger vehicles. There is a privy and information at the parking lot. I arrived about 0800 on a Saturday and there were 3 cars in the lot. It wasn't full when I left a few hours later, but it was pretty close to full!

Though this trail is a 7.1 mile loop, I decided to hike 4 miles (2 miles out and 2 miles back) on the second rainy day of fall. I knew I probably wouldn't get the views this trail is known for, but I was still interested in the hike. I took the upper trail 2 miles to Nancy Russell Overlook, turned around, and came back to the start. The trail is well-marked in most places and after I crossed Salmon Falls Rd, I followed the sign for the upper trail. The trail is narrow in a lot of places, rocky, and with visible roots. Most of the trees I saw were Oaks, covered in moss. There were a few large fir trees as well. The trail does widen and continues uphill via switchbacks for about 1.5 miles (maybe a little more). There are some off-shoot trails, but it looked like most were for restoration work. There was a signed restoration area with several good size fir trees.

There was a divergence where horses went one way and the trail led to views the other way. The trails met up at a hitching post. The main trail is pretty obvious, so even if you take an off-shoot, it should be easy to get back on trail. The trail flattens out for a bit and here you will once again cross Salmon Falls Rd leading into a large field. The trail turns into a gravel 'road' and then the trail picks up again a short distance later. The trail continues just a bit to the Overlook. There is a sign with a map at the Overlook showing you your location in reference to the rest of the trail. The views at the Overlook are probably pretty impressive on a clear day, but I just saw clouds this day. 

Though not too muddy on the way up, there was a 'river' of water running down the middle of the trail on the way down. It gets steep in some parts, so be careful navigating some of the rockier terrain on your way down.

I read a number of reviews that talked about bees on the lower half of the trail. I saw numerous signs about bees, but there were not around this part of the trail on this day. I saw less than 10 hikers + a large military group, but overall it was pretty quiet. I look forward to going back at another time to hike the full trail.