Swale Flats
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes to this location:
- Klickitat Trail: Swale Canyon Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG) (from Wahkiacus)
- Klickitat Trail: Swale Canyon Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG) (from Harms Road)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.76691, -121.07186
- Elevation: 1100 feet
Description
In the middle of Swale Canyon, Swale Creek spreads out in a braided bouldery wash. This is an excellent turnaround point for hikers doing an in and out from either the Harms Road or Wahkiacus Trailheads. Pungent desert parsley blooms in profusion along the creek banks and arrow-leaf balsamroot brightens the hillsides in the spring - but do not tarry in the parsley: the tick density here is one of the highest you will ever encounter!
The Kilckitat Trail runs along Swale Creek's west bank here. Trestle 22-7 crosses a small tributary, often dry by the time hikers begin arriving here in the spring. A natural gas pipeline creates a scar across the hillsides at the south end of the flats. East facing slopes support copses of white oak and ponderosa pine, while west-facing slopes may have groves of Douglas-fir. Look for mule deer on the hillsides and butterflies on trailside seeps; migratory birds find sustenance in the canyon in the spring, while canyon wrens and various raptors are commonly seen here all year.
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Contributors
- bobcat (creator)