Elk Meadows Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Starting Point: Hood River Meadows Trailhead
- Ending Point: Elk Meadows
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Distance: 5.3 miles round-trip
- Elevation gain: 1200 feet
- High Point: 5,280 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer and early Fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: Yes - camping at Elk Meadows
- Crowded: Summer weekends
Contents |
Hike Description
The maze of trails in the Elk Meadows are offers so many hiking options that it’s hard to decide which to explore first. This hike describes two of the most popular routes. The shorter option ends at picturesque Elk Meadows, while the longer loop climbs to spectacular Newton Canyon. The trail is lined with wildflowers in early summer, and ripe huckleberries in late August.
From the trailhead, go Northeast on the Sahalie Falls Trail (no. 667C). The trail travels through forested flats for a short distance before passing an abandoned trail on the left, then reaching the marked junction with the Umbrella Falls Trail (no. 667), which comes in from the left (Northwest).
This description sounds complicated but just keep going straight ahead and you'll be fine. Trail 667C ends. You will now be on trail 667. At some point the trail becomes the Elk Meadows Trail (no. 645). Maybe they have reconfigured the Elk Meadows Trail to come up from highway 35 to here (from the Southeast).
You’ll also notice blue nordic ski route markers along this section of trail. These ski trails are perpendicular to the Umbrella Falls Trail so if you just keep going straight you should be alright.
Continue straight (on the Elk Meadows Trail) to another trail junction and L-shaped bridge over the rushing waters of Clark Creek that form the boundary of the Mount Hood Wilderness (Clark Creek Bridge on Elk Meadows Trail). Cross straight across the bridge. Reportedly, this bridge has been washed out in November 2006. It should be possible to cross the bridge without the bridge. Clark Creek isn't as bad as Newton Creek, which follows, which never had a bridge.
Continue across the valley floor, crossing two small creeks, then one larger stream on stepping stones. Reach a junction with the Newton Creek Trail (no. 646) on the left at the one mile mark. This will be your return route if you opt for the longer hike.
Continue straight a short distance to the silty torrent of Newton Creek (Newton Creek Crossing on Elk Meadows Trail). There is no bridge to help you here, though trail workers usually pile a few logs to form an impromptu bridge. Cross carefully - a hiking pole is recommended here. See Tips for Crossing Streams.
Clark and Newton Creeks are the twin glacial streams formed by the broad Newton Clark Glacier, which dominates the view of Mount Hood throughout the hike. Newton Creek, in particular, is one the most unruly of Mount Hood’s glacial streams, periodically sending huge floods of debris onto Highway 35, far below. The raging power of the stream is evident at several points on the hike, where the river channel is continually changing, tossing boulders and trees around like so many pebbles and matchsticks.
Locate the resumption of the trail on the far side of the creek, and begin climbing a series of switchbacks up the eastern wall of Newton Creek Canyon. The route first travels through lush forest, and a grove of especially large douglas fir, before reaching familiar forests of noble fir and beargrass as you near the ridge crest.
At the 2.0 mile mark, reach a four-way trail junction in a the broad, forested saddle. The Bluegrass Ridge Trail (no. 647) is another trip option, with the scenic summit of Elk Mountain just one mile south on this route. The Gnarl Ridge Trail (no. 652) heads left (Gnarl Ridge from Hood River Meadows Hike). Continue straight, dropping gradually to yet another 4-way trail junction, this time with the Elk Meadows Perimeter Trail (no. 645A). You will return on the left. You can see Elk Meadows peeking through the trees. Turn right, and continue to descend toward the meadows, resisting the periodic use paths leading to the meadows: the best views are ahead, on the main route, and using these paths only perpetuates their impact on the meadows.
Cross a tiny creek, then the Bluegrass Tie (no. 647B) on the right before reaching a well-signed junction pointing to the Gnarl Ridge Cutoff Trail (no. 652A) at the 2.7 mile mark. Turn left, and almost immediately reach a well-worn spur trail to the left that crosses Cold Spring Creek, and wades through waist-deep drifts of lupine to the rustic Elk Meadows shelter. After soaking in the wildflowers and glorious view of Mount Hood across the sprawling meadows, backtrack across Cold Spring Creek, to the Gnarl Ridge Cutoff. Turn left, and cross the creek again before circling around the northern fringe of the meadows.
Watch for a junction with the Perimeter Trail, turn left and go a little further to the junction with the Elk Meadows Trail that you came in on. Turn right and follow the same route back to the trailhead.
Maps
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass required
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Elk Meadows Hike
- Elk Meadows 6/22/06
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Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Elk Meadows Hike
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Guidebooks that cover this destination
- 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Portland, by Paul Gerald
More Links
Page Contributors
- Splintercat (Tom Kloster) (primary)