Eagle Creek — Saturday, May. 3, 2003

Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - OR

Our small Mountaineer group invaded Oregon for the weekend. Our first hike was Eagle Creek, a great trail that offers opportunities for backpackers and hikers alike. There are lots of waterfalls, big and little on this route. There is also a lot of exposure in some areas as the trail has been carved out of the slope beneath billows of pillow lava. The area also offers the naturalist a view of some of the unique and colorful wildflowers of the Gorge. We hiked up past Tunnel Falls, a great horsetail falls that thunders over the edge of a cliff. The trail burrows behind it through a tunnel blasted into the rock. Spray from the falls fills the canyon. In other areas, there is also water dripping over the edge of the basalt onto the trail below. It can be refreshing on a warm day, but chilling when cold. We saw a nice assortment of early wildflowers including larkspur, montia, Solomon Plume, serviceberry, strawberry, shooting star, violets, Blue-eyed Mary's, sedum, assorted saxifrages, trillium, monkeyflower and native dogwoods. There are several nice camps strung out along the canyon after the second bridge. Some have better water access than others. The trail also can be combined with the PCT for a nice 2 to 3 day loop. No horses or mountain bikes are allowed on the trail due to its exposure. There are also a lot of rocky areas since the trail was carved out of the basalt layers in places. Wear good boots. Some people had their children with them, but the exposure doesn't make the place real kid-friendly. Eagle Creek is a very popular area for the Portland crowd so parking can be at a premium on busy weekends. Allow 2.5 hours driving time from the Olympia area on I-5 and I-84. Exit 41 takes you right past the fishery, with less than one mile drive to the TH via a narrow paved road. Extra parking is available near the TH for the Gorge Trail which runs parallel to the river and highway, connecting other trails for possible loops. Stats: 13 miles, 1050' gain. Enjoy!