We took the free shuttle to the trailhead and began our hike around 9:15 am. The trail was in excellent condition with only a few rocky sections. The variety of blooming wildflowers was stunning, with balsamroot, paintbrush, and lupine being the most abundant. The view of the Columbia River Gorge and the wildflowers dancing in the wind was absolutely breathtaking. As expected on a beautiful but windy Saturday, the trail was crowded with many hikers. To avoid the crowd, we decided to descend via the Augspurger Mountain Trail. It was a fantastic day!

It’s a steep trail. Using the Augspurger trail to get to the flower field is a more pleasant hike (for us, a not so strong couple). It’s a bit windy near the top. It is one of our favorite hikes.

This trail kicked my butt. Do not underestimate 1000 ft gain per mile. And there’s definitely poison oak on the trail, esp if you make a route with augspuger trail. But wildflower extravaganza and views of hood Helens and peek a boo adams

Flowers are popping and there's more to come! We arrived around noon on Friday and the parking lot was full but we eventually snagged a spot.
Bring plenty of water, especially with a dog, no streams or any water source along the way. This is a steep hike, and on a hot day, we underestimated our water intake. The flowers are gorgeous, such a variety, and the lupine haven't even started to bloom. It can be slick in spots on the way down from the summit, use caution. A search and rescue crew were heading up on our way down, somebody had fallen, the crews were hiking in some heat - thanks for all you do!

muddy but in good shape. flowers look great right now