I have been wanting to do this hike for a while now. I was not disappointed. This was a great hike! Beautiful wildflowers; yellow, purple, orange, and white. We stopped at the Pool of Winds on the way up. Totally worth it! Such an awesome waterfall!! See picture below. The hike was mostly through the woods and then when almost finished opened up and amazing views. I would not recommend doing this hike on a cloudy day as the best part for us was the views. The hardest part is at the very end but worth the climb! We stayed at the top and enjoyed lunch and some great views. We did not go the correct way back down. You are supposed to take Hardy trail (I believe) and we didn't-We kept to a different trail which landed us in an empty parking lot. Luckily, in the parking lot there was a map so, we hiked down to the main road and from the road to the correct parking area. Be careful with this as I just read someone else did this too. We weren't too worried about it as it added on extra miles for us but, would have preferred to stay on the trail. We did the loop so we didn't know which way to stay on the way down as we didn't come from that way up. It was a great hike and I would absolutely do it again!

We drove down 3 hours from Seattle on a whim yesterday and were pleasantly surprised by this hike (and particularly enjoyed the lack of snow, coming on the heels of a number of snowy and muddy ones around Seattle). There were wildflowers all along the trail as well as (not surprisingly given the gorgeous weather) many fellow hikers (and dogs). Very windy at the top - kind of nice to cool down with. Not to mention the spectacular views of the Columbia River, Mt Hood, and Mt Adams! Took us ~4 hours at a pretty relaxed pace. There were some steeper/rocky parts on the way up, but nothing too bad. We did the loop, so the way down (Hardy Creek Trail) was quite flat - though it lacked the views of the "more difficult" way up.

It was an absolutely gorgeous and hot day. We warmed up hiking Beacon Rock and then hit the trail up Hamilton Mountain around noon or so. The trail was great the whole way up. It's definitely a bit dusty though. Stop at the Pool of the Winds and anywhere along the falls to cool yourself off. The incline increases a decent bit for awhile but eventually it starts to ease up and you find yourself up at the top. Very windy, dusty, and rocky so be careful when you get up there. The top is really more of a ridge. Incredible views though, definitely worth it, just be careful.

Hamilton Mountain is a traditional spring hike for me. It’s a good place to get in elevation; the trail is well-maintained; the loop provides a variety of experiences; and, weather permitting, the expansive views of the Gorge are spectacular. SEASONAL UPDATE The snow is completely off the mountain; however the trail in some of the steeper sections was muddy and slick. The weather did not live up to the forecast, and the vistas of the Gorge were obliterated by clouds. This provided the opportunity to focus on the landscape instead. The trees are just starting to leaf out, with the virginal leaves matching the neon green moss on the rocks. There was a smattering of wildflowers signaling spring. We saw yellow violets, bleeding hearts and Oregon grapes blooming along the trail. There was also the occasional trillium, wild strawberry, and salmonberry. HIKE DESCRIPTION This hike lives up to its reputation of being one of the hardest hikes in in Gorge, but the payoff is worth the effort. The hike starts with a mighty righteous hike up to Rodney Falls. The falls are worth checking out. Spend some time snapping photos, and head up to Pool of the Winds to experience the power of nature. From here to the top of the mountain, you will encounter a variety of uphill sections from gentle climbs to steep switchbacks. The views of the Gorge from the top of the cliffs are breathtakingly beautiful. If you can handle heights, peer down to appreciate the sheer rock faces. As you near the tops of the cliffs, the dirt trail gives way to rocks. I call this section “Nature’s Hoax” because of the multiple false summits. Just as soon as you approach what you think is the “top,” you will see another, higher “top” to climb to, again and again. Some people like to return the same way as they came up, but I prefer continuing the counterclockwise trail, which crosses a ridgeline, drops down into the forest, then parallels Hardy Creek to meet up again with the main trail. LESSON RELEARNED This time of year I normally have a gloves and a wool hat in my pack. Yesterday I did not, and that was a big mistake. My fingers got painfully cold in the rain and wind, and I spent more than a little time regretting my decision to leave the gloves at home.

It turned out to be a beautiful day for a hike. The sun made an appearance and the rain held off until we were back in the car and headed home. Had a late morning start so we ran into a few groups of hikers on their way out as we were heading up. The waterfalls were pretty and it eventually opened up toward the top for some panoramic views. There is supposed to be a looped trail you can do but we somehow missed a trail turn off and ended up hiking along the equestrian trail. This meant we had to walk out to the road and walk along the shoulderless road back to the trail head parking lot or track back along the trail and end up hiking out in the dark. We opted for the road.