BigBear wrote:I'm not certain who the last comment was directed towards, since none of the verbiage quoted was in fact quoted by anyone who already posted a comment.
If it was directed at myself, it is not merited since my comment was not meant to be mean-spirited but simply a fact check. If you are looking for an A-level hike (1,500 ft of gain or less) in the Gorge and you are seeking a similar hike without crowds, I do not believe such a place exists in 2017.
Easy hikes with scenic surroundings, close to a big city, are what more hikers seek than there are parking spaces. Yes, it's discouraging. Very discouraging, and I have been very discouraged in the past few years after having hiked so many trails over the past three decades in relative solitude.
Many of the hikes mentioned are C-level hikes with 3,000 or 4,000 feet of elevation gain, which is far beyond the requested parameters. Other suggestions involve longer drives, but no less crowds.
Grassy Knoll, for instance, is a great wildflower hike this time of year, and in spite of the bumpy road, lack of trail signs directing you into unfamiliar territory, the lack of organized hikes and trip reports, somehow the trailhead overflows.
The sad fact is that the best hikes have been written up in guidebooks, listed on the oregonhikers.org website with GPS coordinates, and receive the most posts as a result of their beauty. Finding a worthy hike close to town and devoid of people has become an impossible challenge since the internet came on line. The old days of buying maps and researching a route on your own is a distant memory. Even an old guy like me, when he wants to print up a trip report for the group, just goes online and borrows from what someone else has written.
Best of luck on your quest for the hike you are seeking. I honestly do not know of any published trails (and I've hiked most all of the trails) that will fit your criteria.
I dont mind running into other people on the trails, or seeing big groups doing their thing. Honestly, Im just trying to find a spot where Im not going to need to spend an hour just driving in circles trying to find a spot to park. But thanks for your insight.