Day Hikes Near Hood River In Late August

[jonhinson]

Hello Oregon Hikers!

A group of six or so men are coming to Oregon from August 23-27 for some day hiking. We will be staying in Hood River and are interested in trails that are around 12-18 miles total, depending on difficulty, elevation change, etc. The makeup of the group is 3 men in their 30s and 3 in their 50s. We are all in at least moderate to good shape. We don't want any trails that would require any technical skills and we'll be returning back to Hood River each night, so no camping.

I've looked up a few trails that may be what we're looking for, but would love to get feedback and any recommendations. After doing some research, it was quite easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options so I figured it'd be best to turn to the experts for advice

1. Eagle Creek Hike to Tunnel Falls (https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventur ... nnel-falls)
2. McNeil Point (https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventur ... neil-point)
3. Elk Cove (From Vista Ridge or Cloud Cap?) to Barrett Spur Viewpoint (not all the way up, as that seems way too difficult from what I've read)
4. Nick Eaton Ridge Loop Hike (http://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guide ... _Loop_Hike)

Since we do want at the very least two solid days (~8 hours of hiking each day), it'd be nice if we picked trails that offered something different each day (e.g. alpine trail one day and river/gorge hike the next). Another option we're considering is one day doing two shorter hikes-one in the morning, break for lunch, and one in the afternoon if they aren't too terribly far apart.

Please let me know if I'm at all off track or if I need to provide any more information. I would greatly appreciate any feedback, tips and suggestions!

Thank you,

Jon

[olderthanIusedtobe]

You've targeted some good hikes! If I could only do one hike in The Gorge, pretty sure Eagle Creek would be it. If you choose that one, be sure to continue just a little beyond Tunnel Falls to Twister Falls. It will be worth it.

McNeil Point from the Top Spur trailhead is probably my favorite hike on Hood. Good bang for the buck on that one. If you aren't worn out once you get to the stone shelter, you can follow a way path another 500 or so feet higher up to cool ridge top vistas.

Elk Cove/Barrett Spur is also really nice. Just to throw a couple more options out, Cooper Spur and Elk Meadow/Gnarl Ridge are worth doing as well.

For other Gorge hikes, Nick Eaton loop is nice but doesn't have much in the way of waterfalls, if that's what you're looking for. Hiking up to the top of Larch Mountain is pretty nice. Starting from Multnomah Falls is the most direct route, but I prefer a slightly longer variation starting from Wahkeena Falls. Hits Multnomah Creek just upstream from the falls. Avoids some heavy foot traffic, not that's you'll have it all to yourself. You have several options for making a lollipop loop on the way down. Another nice option from Wahkeena is Angels Rest (there is a much shorter trail for that, I think only about 4 miles; my route is around 8). Mt. Defiance is the king of thighburners for the Gorge. Another that can be done as a loop.

If you want to combine several short hikes during 1 day, there are all kinds of options for that in the Gorge. Wahclella Falls, Latourell Falls, Elowah Falls/McCord Creek....probably several others that aren't coming to mind presently.

You've probably heard we had a lot of snow this winter. May not all be gone even well into August, but hikes on Hood should probably be well accessible by then.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Eagle/Benson loop is pretty cool. Benson Plateau is a bit different than the other stuff around it.

[squidvicious]

I guess if it's the only chance you'll get to hike Eagle Creek it would be a shame to miss it, but that strikes me as the worst possible time. Schools still out, heat up, it's likely to be all party central up in there. Not really showing its best side.

[drm]

Regarding your #3, you can go quite a ways up Barrett Spur without running into anything that you would consider technical. This would be a great way to get one of your long days on Mt Hood. Another option for Mt. Hood not on your list is to drive the unpaved road to Cloud Cap and hike up to Cooper Spur. This is I think the highest altitude maintained trail on Mt Hood. It's totally barren alpine terrain at Cooper Spur, so no greenery, but you can get your fill of greenery in your gorge hikes. This hike would be great for spectacular glaciers off to the side.

[jonhinson]

You've targeted some good hikes! If I could only do one hike in The Gorge, pretty sure Eagle Creek would be it. If you choose that one, be sure to continue just a little beyond Tunnel Falls to Twister Falls. It will be worth it.

McNeil Point from the Top Spur trailhead is probably my favorite hike on Hood. Good bang for the buck on that one. If you aren't worn out once you get to the stone shelter, you can follow a way path another 500 or so feet higher up to cool ridge top vistas.

Elk Cove/Barrett Spur is also really nice. Just to throw a couple more options out, Cooper Spur and Elk Meadow/Gnarl Ridge are worth doing as well.

For other Gorge hikes, Nick Eaton loop is nice but doesn't have much in the way of waterfalls, if that's what you're looking for. Hiking up to the top of Larch Mountain is pretty nice. Starting from Multnomah Falls is the most direct route, but I prefer a slightly longer variation starting from Wahkeena Falls. Hits Multnomah Creek just upstream from the falls. Avoids some heavy foot traffic, not that's you'll have it all to yourself. You have several options for making a lollipop loop on the way down. Another nice option from Wahkeena is Angels Rest (there is a much shorter trail for that, I think only about 4 miles; my route is around 8). Mt. Defiance is the king of thighburners for the Gorge. Another that can be done as a loop.

If you want to combine several short hikes during 1 day, there are all kinds of options for that in the Gorge. Wahclella Falls, Latourell Falls, Elowah Falls/McCord Creek....probably several others that aren't coming to mind presently.

You've probably heard we had a lot of snow this winter. May not all be gone even well into August, but hikes on Hood should probably be well accessible by then.

Great suggestions, thank you! Eagle Creek is high up on our list, so if that's one of the ones we pick we'll for sure go beyond to Twister Falls. I'll look into the other trails you mentioned as well and let you know if I have any questions.

[jonhinson]

I guess if it's the only chance you'll get to hike Eagle Creek it would be a shame to miss it, but that strikes me as the worst possible time. Schools still out, heat up, it's likely to be all party central up in there. Not really showing its best side.

If we started early in the morning (e.g. 6ish) on a Thursday or Friday, could we avoid most of the crowds? Can you elaborate on "party central"?

Thank you!

[jonhinson]

Regarding your #3, you can go quite a ways up Barrett Spur without running into anything that you would consider technical. This would be a great way to get one of your long days on Mt Hood. Another option for Mt. Hood not on your list is to drive the unpaved road to Cloud Cap and hike up to Cooper Spur. This is I think the highest altitude maintained trail on Mt Hood. It's totally barren alpine terrain at Cooper Spur, so no greenery, but you can get your fill of greenery in your gorge hikes. This hike would be great for spectacular glaciers off to the side.

A quick glance at Cooper Spur looks enticing - the glacier views are amazing! Thank you for the suggestion!

With hikes like Cooper Spur, Barrett Spur or other Mt Hood hikes, what type of clothing would you suggest for late August?

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Weather should be fairly benign in late August, but you never know. I think on Cooper Spur you can get up around 8,000 ft. before you hit a glacier (part of the Elliot Glacier will be below you, but you don't have to tread on it at any point), so it's fairly high elevation. Just bring extra clothes just in case. I'm not on the extreme end of bringing absolutely everything, so that time of year I'd probably just bring a wind protection and waterproof/water resistant layer. Warmer layer/hat/gloves you probably wouldn't use, but I'd hate to tell you not to bring it if you end up needing it. Not necessarily in Oregon, but in the Northwest (mostly Washington) I've been snowed on at least once every month of the year. It's kinda freaky when it starts snowing in July or August, but it can happen at higher elevations. I'd just say at higher elevations the temperature can get close to the freezing point any time of year, so be prepared for that. But it might be in the upper 70's too, just want to have some options and versatility with your clothing.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I haven't done Eagle Creek for a couple years probably. I would think starting at 6 am on a weekday should cut way down on the crowds. Would probably see some folks on your way back, but half the day at least would have some solitude.