The Mount Mitchell Trailhead (Jeff Statt)

Sign on a tree right at the trailhead (Jeff Statt)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 46.04468, -122.19413
• Elevation:

Hikes starting here

• Mount Mitchell Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

Fees and Regulations

• None

Driving Directions

The trailhead is about an hour and a half from downtown Portland. The last few miles are on pretty decent forest roads that most passenger cars should have little problem with. Road conditions have not been verified since the November 2006 storms. You are recommended to call the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for more information.

The directions below use pseudonyms for the unnamed forest roads to help orient yourself to the maps that follow.

From Portland:

• Take I5 North to the Cougar/Woodland exit (junction #503)
• Turn right, eastward on rt 503 towards Cougar - go exactly 31.2 miles (you will pass Jack's store after 22.8 miles)
• Turn right on an unmarked road (there was a pink ribbon tied to a tree) which ends after about 200 feet.
• Turn right onto this unnamed road. Let's call it "Bridge Rd" so you know how to identify it on the map below. You'll soon cross the Lewis River on a long one laned bridge.
• After you've gone .2 of a mile turn left onto Pothole Ave. (again, this is a pseudonym for the unnamed road)
• Travel due East on Pothole Ave. for 1.4 miles.
• Take a right on Rocky Rd. The road winds its way up into the forested hills.
• Take a right after 2.3 miles onto Trailhead Lane.
• Take Trailhead lane to the end (1/4 mile at best)

Once you hit the forest roads there are little pink ribbons on the trees near every turn. Of course these are only good if they stay in place!

Map of the forest roads up to the Mount Mitchell trailhead. The road names are not real, and are only meant to help you match up with the directions above