Cougar Rock via Elevator Shaft Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
| This page is marked as a Lost Hike. The "trail" may be dangerous and hard to follow and is not recommended for beginning hikers without an experienced leader. Carry detailed maps of the whole area and/or a GPS unit and compass. |
- Start point: Multnomah Falls Trailhead
- End Point: Cougar Rock
- Trail Log : Trail Log
- Hike Type: Loop
- Distance: 5.5 miles (depending on options)
- Elevation gain: 1650 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Apr-Oct
- Family Friendly: No. Stony scramble & poison oak
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
This hike has a little bit of every kind of trail, from paved, well-graded tourist trap to a scramble up a talus slope. The main attraction of the hike is the Elevator Shaft (also known as the Fire Escape). Various hiking guides show it to be lost, found or even "not as lost as it once was". Plan ahead, wear good boots for the rocks, long pants for the poison oak and plan on working hard.
The hike starts at the Multnomah Falls Trailhead. Hike up the Larch Mountain Trail #441 to the Benson Bridge, along with scores of day hikers and tourists. About 1/2 mile from the lodge, you'll come to a switchback where the dirt Gorge Trail #400 connects. Continue straight ahead on the Gorge Trail, signed the Ak-Wanee Trail. In about another half mile of flat walking, you'll come to a large talus slope. This is the base of the Elevator Shaft - where the fun begins!
The talus slope is not hard to find, but the trail is. What seems like the obvious start is actually about 40 feet to the left (East) of where you should. Look for a nearly buried chain-link fence and climb above it and to the right. There is an old trail here but it's hard to detect amid the moss-covered rocks. Work your way through some early soft-wood trees until the scree field opens up slightly. Just as quickly, you'll be tangled in poison oak and blackberry bushes. The early going is a bit of a fight. Just when you think the bulk of the climbing is done, the forest scrub relents to a wide open scree slope. You've climbed about 200 feet. You have a ways to go!
The main section of the Elevator Shaft is series of short, faint switchbacks. Local climbers have counted the switchbacks in excess of a hundred. Years of cross-cutting, have made the trail sometimes indistinguishable amid the rocks. Do your best to resist the temptation to head straight uphill. You hiking is the only maintenance this trail gets!
When you've reached about half way up the visible section of the shaft, keep your eye out to the left. You'll start to see the remains of a large and quite violent landslide. It is a powerful reminder of what it is you're standing on.
After a great deal of climbing you'll finally get to the top of the rockslide. The trail enters to the forest off to the right (west) at the top. Before entering the forest, don't forget to look behind you. Archer Mountain is the peak directly across the river. You're now high above Trail 400 and the Interstate. You've climbed about 1000 feet in less than a half-mile.
Upon entering the forest you'll be surprised to see that your climb has not ended. In fact, you have another 700 vertical feet of climbing still to go before reaching the top of Multnomah Basin. It's not quite a 1/4 mile and some strenuous hiking before you get to a trail junction. The trail heading to the right (West) heads about a 1/3 mile to an fabulous overlook towering over Multnomah Falls and the river. Experienced climbers can climb down and pick up a light path that connects to the Larch Mountain trail near the Multnomah Falls Upper Viewpoint. Do not attempt this. It is highly dangerous!
If you don't choose to see the overlook, continue uphill as the trail starts to bend eastward. Depending on the time of year the trail can be hard to follow. A GPS and map is suggested. Finally you reach the top of ridge on the North-most border of the Multnomah Basin. You will eventually meet up with an unmarked, unmapped East-West trail. Follow Eastward. This is an area rich with history. Watch for evidence of old homesteads.
Continue heading east for another half mile or so to a junction with a path headed north, down the hill. This path switches down steeply toward Cougar Rock. There really isn't a trail once you get to the ridgeline. There are two options. Follow the top of the ridgeline, which is a bit of a scramble to it's end. You'll have a bird's eye view looking straight down. Perhaps the better options is to find a light path on that heads downhill to the right of the ridge to a great viewpoint to the NE of the rock (pictured on this page). There is no way to get out on the rock itself.
The Trails Club of Oregon owns a rustic and very picturesque lodge near here. The property and lodge is closed to the public, but they have weekends from time to time where they invite visitors.
Head west back the way you came to that first trail junction. Head south and then east on the trail about a quarter mile to a junction with Multnomah Basin Road. This road is closed to most traffic, but open to hikers and mountain bikers. Turn right and walk down the road for a quarter mile to a sharp u-turn. You'll find another path here that heads down to the Larch Mountain Trail's "High Water Trail". A right turn here will get you down to Multnomah Creek and the Larch Mountain Trail #441. (Should you somehow miss the turn, you will come to a crossing of Larch Mountain Trail, where you'll turn right.) In either event, turn right on to Larch Mountain Trail just before the creek and hike down past Ecola Falls, Weisendanger Falls and numerous other scenic spots, including the Multnomah Falls Upper Viewpoint. Follow the paved trail #441 back to Multnomah Falls Lodge and your car.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- None
Trip Reports
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Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Cougar Rock via Elevator Shaft Hike
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Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 50 Hiking Trails Portland and Northwest Oregon by Don and Roberta Lowe
More Links
Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)
- Jeffstatt