Indian Point Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Herman Creek Trailhead
- End point: Indian Point
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: loop
- Distance: 7.6 miles (round trip)
- Elevation gain: 2800 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Year round
- Backpackable: Yes
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Hike Description
NOTICE: Most trails on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge are closed until further notice because of damage from the Eagle Creek Fire. The closure involves ALL trails between Rooster Rock State Park and Hood River. It is anticipated that most of these trails may not reopen until Spring or Summer 2018. Please check the list of Columbia Gorge trail closures before you plan for a hike.
The Indian Point loop travels through forested trails in the eastern Gorge to a fantastic viewpoint. The loop will be described counter clockwise, requiring a steeper climb up Nick Eaton Ridge in order to descend more gently on the Gorton Creek Trail.
Beginning at the Herman Creek trailhead, follow the Herman Creek Trail uphill for 1.2 miles until you reach Herman Camp and a junction with the Gorton Creek Trail #408 (which goes left, to the east) and the Gorge Trail #400 (which goes hard left, to the north). Continue straight on the Herman Creek trail, which follows an old logging road for another 0.2 miles to the junction with the Nick Eaton Trail.
Turn left and follow the Nick Eaton Trail steeply uphill through switchbacks. After nearly 2000 ft of climbing, you will come to a junction with the Nick Eaton Cutoff Trail. Turn left and descend 0.8 miles down towards the Gorton Creek Trail and Indian Point.
At the junction with the Gorton Creek Trail, there is a viewpoint that looks down onto Indian Point. If you wish to continue down to the Point itself, turn right and walk a couple of hundred feet until you see the steep user path descending to your left. Note that this is an unmaintained user trail, and there are steep dropoffs on either side of the rocky peninsula down by the Point. A fall would be fatal. Use your best judgment.
If you do not wish to visit the point, then at the bottom of the cutoff trail, turn left onto the Gorton Creek Trail. Follow this trail downhill through the forest until you return to Herman Camp, and the large junction with the 400 trail and the Herman Creek Trail. Turn right onto Herman Creek trail (which follows a wide, flat road bed) and retrace your route 1.2 miles back down to the parking lot.
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Indian Point
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Indian Point
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hike! Columbia Gorge, by Seabury Blair, Jr.
- 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Portland, by Paul Gerald
- Afoot and Afield Portland/Vancouver, by Douglas Lorain
- 35 Hiking Trails, Columbia River Gorge, by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Columbia River Gorge, 42 Scenic Hikes, by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Hiking the Columbia River Gorge - 1st and 2nd Editions, by Russ Schneider
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon - 3rd Edition, by William L Sullivan
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Revised
- January 2016