Home  •   Field Guide  •   Forums  •    Unread Posts  •   Maps  •   Find a Hike!
| Page | Discussion | View source | History | Print Friendly and PDF

Rowena Plateau Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Revision as of 19:56, 20 April 2015 by Justpeachy (Talk | contribs)

Rowena Plateau (Steve Hart)
File:RowenaPlateau3.jpg
Lupine and Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Steve Hart)
Columbia River (Steve Hart)
File:RowenaPlateau4.jpg
Rattlesnake crossing (Steve Hart)
  • Start point: Rowena Crest TrailheadRoad.JPG
  • End point: Rowena Plateau
  • Trail Log: Trail Log
  • Hike Type: Out and back
  • Distance: 1.0 miles
  • Elevation gain: 100 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Seasons: Year round
  • Family Friendly: Yes
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: Yes
Poison-Oak
Rattlesnakes
Ticks

Contents

Hike Description

This is a quite relaxing hike in the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. Please note that no dogs are allowed on this trail.

At the Rowena Crest Trailhead, cross the highway and walk through the fence stile. The broad trail slopes gently downhill through the entire hike. This is a floral paradise in spring, with Lupine and Balsamroot in the starring roles. After about 1/10 of a mile, a side trail heads off to the right to a great viewpoint up the Gorge.

The main trail crosses a bit of a saddle and then comes to Rowena Pond. There are a couple of little paths leading to the edge of the pond, but look out for Poison Oak here. These side trails are really overgrown with the stuff.

Back on the main path, you'll find more of the same. The trail gradually descends through more beautiful flowers. There's a second pond, but it's pretty impossible to see for the undergrowth. Eventually, the trail ends at a viewpoint looking west down the Columbia River. Return the way you came, or explore some of the less developed side paths.

Maps

Regulations or restrictions, etc

  • Dogs are prohibited on Nature Conservancy lands

Trip Reports

  • (Click here to add your own)

Related Discussions / Q&A

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

More Links

Contributors

Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.