Revision as of 02:44, 17 April 2021

The tunnel under I-84 (Steve Hart)

• Start point: Cascade Locks Trailhead
• End point: Gorge-Historic Columbia River Highway Trail Cascade Locks Junction
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Hike Type: Loop
• Distance: 3.0 miles
• Elevation gain: 100 feet
• High point: 280 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: Year round
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

Beginning at the Bridge of the Gods, this short loop is close to the freeway all the way but puts you on a sample of the two official trans-Gorge trails, the Gorge Trail #400 and the paved Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. It's a good all year shaded outing for families with younger children.

The hike starts at the Cascade Locks Trailhead, beneath the Bridge of the Gods. From here, cross the street, and walk up through the park past the Bridge of the Gods Trailhead to pick up the Pacific Crest Trail. This is probably the most urban section of the entire PCT. You'll hike a short distance up a few feet from the freeway, then you'll come to Moody Street. Turn right, head under the freeway and then straight ahead up gravel Harvey Road. In a few steps, you'll come to the PCT Harvey Road Trailhead. From here the PCT goes to Dry Creek Falls, Benson Plateau and of course, eventually Mexico.

For this hike though, head west on the Gorge Trail. The Gorge Trail is an unusual beast. Over 30 miles long, it connects over a dozen trailheads on the Oregon side of the Gorge, creating all kinds of multi-day loop trips. It's also a well-maintained, low altitude trail, that provides hiking year round. If this area was ever logged it was long ago, and much of the trail is quite scenic in a "deep forest" sort of way, with old trees and rocky crags. The Gorge Trail's downside is its proximity to Interstate 84. For almost the entire trail, your eyes will tell you that you're in a rare, low altitude wilderness and your ears will be telling you that you're under the Marquam Bridge near downtown Portland. That creates an interesting mindset probably improved with some good, loud music piped directly into your ears.

This section of the Gorge Trail is no exception. The first portion is arrow straight adjacent to an old fence designed to keep people off the Interstate. Then the trail winds up and down small knolls and mossy hummocks of landslide debris. In the fall, the understory is yellow with turning maple leaves and the firs are deep green, creating interesting contrasts. Springtime brings blooms of candy flower and invasive herb Robert.

After about a mile, the area gets rockier and the trail climbs a 100 foot rocky point with two switchbacks on each side. There are views through the trees of the cliffs and a decent view of the Bridge of the Gods. About a mile and a half west of Moody Street, the Gorge Trail joins the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail (the HCRHT). When the modern I-84 was constructed it crossed the old highway here, leaving two disconnected sections. When the HCRHT was restored, trail builders were faced with a dilemma. It was solved by creating a new tunnel under the freeway. The new construction has been faced with stone similar to that used during construction of the old highway.

To complete your hike, cross under the freeway and walk east on the paved HCRHT. Here you are likely to see more people than on the Gorge Trail. The old road meanders down a bit through the woods, then climbs a bit. After about a mile, you'll come to the shoulder of the Cascade Locks I-84 entrance ramp. The old highway here was transformed into the modern freeway access, so all the trail builders could do was create a protected freeway shoulder for the trail. In a couple hundred yards, you'll be back to your car at the Bridge of the Gods.

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder
• Green Trails Maps: Bonneville Dam, OR #429
• Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - West #428S
• Geo-Graphics: Trails of the Columbia Gorge
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: Columbia River Gorge
• National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• Dogs on leash on the HCRHT

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Cascade Locks West Loop

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Cascade Locks West Loop

Guidebooks that cover this hike

More Links

• Gorge 400 Trail (USFS)

Contributors

• Stevefromdodge (creator)