The Starvation Creek Trailhead

• Driving distance from Portland: 1.5 hours
• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.68808, -121.68997
• Elevation: 130 feet

Hikes starting here

• • Defiance-Starvation Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Lancaster Falls Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Lower Starvation Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Mount Defiance from Columbia River Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Starvation Creek Falls Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Starvation Ridge Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Viento HCRHT Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

Fees and Regulations

• None

Driving Directions

From Portland, drive east on I-84 for more than 50 miles to Exit #55, signed for the Starvation Creek State Park and rest area. The rest area features good parking, with normally enough room for both visiting freeway travelers and hikers planning to park for a while. The rest area is not a remote location, but it is freeway-side, so as always take due caution with your property and leave nothing of value in your car.

Be aware that the two primary hiking trails at this location (Starvation Ridge and Mt. Defiance) do not begin within the state park area by the restrooms and Starvation Creek Falls, but instead require walking west, back alongside the freeway, outside the jersey barriers. It may seem odd at first, but this route soon turns into a shaded, paved, and then dirt path offering close approaches to Cabin Creek Falls and Hole in the Wall Falls. The Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail also descends to this lower walk-in section. Continue a short distance uphill to find the 'T' junction between the Starvation Ridge and Mt. Defiance trails.

There's no westbound exit to the Starvation Creek Rest Area, so drivers from the east (Hood River) will need to continue to Herman Creek Road and double back. Similarly, when leaving the rest area westbound drivers (Portland) will need to drive east on I-84 for about a mile and take the Viento exit, which leads to an underpass and then an I-84 on-ramp to Portland.