Difference between revisions of "Ramona Falls Loop Hike"

Revision as of 19:32, 10 September 2019

Ramona Falls with bridge at base of falls (Jerry Adams)

Looking down the Sandy River, Sandy River Trail (bobcat)

Mt. Hood from the Sandy River crossing, Sandy River Trail (bobcat)

Ramona Creek below the falls (bobcat)

Andesite cliffs above Ramona Creek (bobcat)

Large pyrola (Pyrola asarifolia), Sandy River Trail (bobcat)

The lollipop loop to Ramona Falls (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo

Start point: Ramona Falls Trailhead
End point: Ramona Falls
Trail Log: Ramona Falls Hike/Log
Distance: 7.1 miles round trip
Hike Type: Loop
Elevation gain: 1035 feet
High point: 3,470 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Seasons: Late spring to early fall
Family Friendly: No
Backpackable: No
Crowded: Yes

The Ramona Falls Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to the gradual elevation gain, relative proximity to Portland, and its beautiful climax at the wondrous Ramona Falls. What used to be a popular family hike is no longer a walk in the park, however. A road washout in the mid-1990s caused the trailhead to be located 1.4 miles farther away at the Old Maid Sand Pit. In 2014, a hiker was swept off the seasonal footbridge at the Sandy River Crossing and drowned by rapidly rising waters after a sudden storm. The Forest Service has decided not to replace the bridge, so the crossing of the river, which you have to do going and coming, is now a ford or a careful balancing act on logs that change their position annually. Also, Ramona Falls became part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness in 2009, so consider this a hike into the backcountry with all the attendant precautions. Wear proper footwear, carry emergency essentials in your pack, and turn back if there is heavy rain. Do NOT attempt a crossing of the Sandy if the river is running fast, deep, and furiously.

Two longer hikes that include Ramona Falls are the Muddy Fork Loop Hike and the Yocum Ridge Hike. This loop is also done in the winter on snowshoes or skis, but remember that the access road is gated further down from December 1st to April 1st.

Take the wide, sandy trail leading up from the southeast corner of the parking area. You will be hiking among stunted mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine on a carpet of moss, pinemat manzanita, and reindeer lichen. Beginning in about 1780, pyroclastic flows from Mount Hood buried the Sandy River, which continues to change its course as it carves through the soft strata. Pass the first of at least three glacial river crossing signs warning about safe passage when waters are high. (There has been more than one drowning death in the area). Come to the Sandy River-Ramona Falls Trailhead Trail Junction, and proceed past a large boulder to a stop sign, where you’ll need to fill out a free wilderness permit.

Hike onward through the trees, where the trail has been moved back away from the river after sections that were too close to the riverbank washed away. At 1.1 miles reach the bank of the river and then descend to the Sandy River Crossing. A bridge is no longer provided here, so you’ll need to pick one of the logs strewn across the water or attempt a ford (See Tips for Crossing Streams). This crossing is easiest from mid-summer to early fall. The trail picks up on the opposite bank and winds through an alder-colonized debris fan. Drop in and out of a gully, and head up parallel to the river in shady woods. Come to the Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail Junction, and go left. The trail soon reaches a footbridge over Ramona Creek and heads up the bank of the creek. At the well-signed Ramona Falls-Pacific Crest Trail Junction, keep right.

Pass through a stile (no horses are permitted on the Ramona Falls Trail) and head up through the shady woodland that has revegetated the pyroclastic flows. Cross a log footbridge, and hike up along lovely, burbling Ramona Creek, which flows through the duff carpet and mossy stones. Look left to note the wonderful pink and sandy andesite cliffs across the creek. Leave the stream to pass above a gully, and keep rising through mountain hemlock, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western red-cedar, lodgepole pine, rhododendron, and Sitka alder. Reach the junction with the Timberline Trail, and stay right to admire Ramona Falls' splashing veil from the footbridge that spans the creek here. There are plenty of places to sit and contemplate a while under the shady canopy although on a summer weekend, there may be throngs that have the same idea. Do not climb the rocks at the base of the waterfall for better photos, as it is slippery and dangerous and blocks other people's views of the falls.

Continue on the Timberline Trail, and pass through a stock fence near a horse hitch. The trail drops among stunted mountain hemlocks and lodgepole pines to the Pacific Crest-Timberline Middle Trail Junction, where you will turn right. The forest, with a salal understory, becomes shadier, and you get views down to the Sandy’s wide debris channel. Pass out of shady old growth to the stunted Old Maid Flat forest. The trail drops off the bench again and wends down among rhododendrons to the Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail Junction. Keep left here to make the Sandy River Crossing and return to the trailhead.

Maps

Maps: Hike Finder
Sandy River Trail #770 (USFS)
Ramona Falls Trail #797 (USFS)
Green Trails Maps: Government Camp, OR #461
Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District
Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North: Trail Map & Hiking Guide
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required at trailhead. Pass must be acquired beforehand as they are not sold at the trailhead.
Self-issued wilderness permit
Exercise caution at the Sandy River Crossing

Trip Reports

Search Trip Reports for Ramona Falls

Ramona Falls 1/14

Related Discussions / Q&A

Search Trail Q&A for Ramona Falls
Ramona Falls Sandy River Crossing 2019

Guidebooks that cover this hike

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland by Paul Gerald
Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
I Heart Oregon (& Washington) by Lisa D. Holmes
Best Hikes Near Portland by Fred Barstad
Best Short Hikes in Northwest Oregon by Rhonda & George Ostertag
100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
50 Hikes in Oregon by David L. Anderson
Take a Hike: Portland by Barbara I. Bond
Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
Hiking Mount Hood National Forest by Marcia Sinclair
Hiking Oregon's Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop
Hiking Waterfalls in Oregon by Adam Sawyer
Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson
Oregon's Wilderness Areas by George Wuerthner
Around & About Mount Hood by Sonia Buist with Emily Keller
62 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
Oregon's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop

Contributors

User:retiredjerry (creator)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Category:Backpackable Hikes]]
 [[Category:Creek Hikes]]
 [[Category:Crowded Hikes]]
-[[Category:Easy Hikes]]
+[[Category:Moderate Hikes]]
-[[Category:Family Hikes]]
 [[Category:Mount Hood Area]]
+[[Category:Mt Hood National Forest]]
 [[Category:Northwest Oregon]]
+[[Category:Wilderness Hikes]]
 [[Category:Waterfall Hikes]]
+[[Category:Loop Hikes]]
 [[Category:Hikes]]
 [[Image:Ramonafalls.JPG|thumb|400px|Ramona Falls with bridge at base of falls ''(Jerry Adams)'']]
+[[Image:Looking down the Sandy River, Sandy River Trail.jpg|thumb|250px|Looking down the Sandy River, Sandy River Trail ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:Mt. Hood from the Sandy River crossing, Sandy River Trail.jpg|thumb|250px|Mt. Hood from the Sandy River crossing, Sandy River Trail ''(bobcat)'']]
 [[Image:Ramona1.jpg|thumb|250px|Ramona Creek below the falls ''(bobcat)'']]
 [[Image:Ramona2.jpg|thumb|250px|Andesite cliffs above Ramona Creek ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:Large pyrola (Pyrola asarifolia), Sandy River Trail.jpg|thumb|160px|Large pyrola ''(Pyrola asarifolia)'', Sandy River Trail ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:RamonaFallsMap.png|thumb|500px|The lollipop loop to Ramona Falls (not a GPS track) ''(bobcat)'' Courtesy: ''Caltopo'']]
 {{Start point|Ramona Falls Trailhead}}
 * End point: [[Ramona Falls]]
 * Trail Log: [[Ramona Falls Hike/Log]]
-{{Distance|7.0 miles}} round trip
+{{Distance|7.1 miles}} round trip
 * Hike Type: Loop
-{{Elevation gain|1100 feet}}
+{{Elevation gain|1035 feet}}
-{{Difficulty|Easy}} to Moderate
+* High point: 3,470 feet
-* Seasons: Late Spring to early Fall
+{{Difficulty|Moderate}}
-** (when the Sandy River footbridge is in place)
+* Seasons: Late spring to early fall
-**  or possibly year round if you cross the Sandy without the bridge
+* Family Friendly: No
-* Family Friendly: Yes
+* Backpackable: No
-* Backpackable: Yes
 * Crowded: Yes
 === Hike Description ===
-The Ramona Falls Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to it easy trail, relative proximity to Portland, and it's beautiful climax at the wondrous [[Ramona Falls]]. This hike describes and out-and-back trail with a slightly longer loop option.
+The Ramona Falls Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to the gradual elevation gain, relative proximity to Portland, and its beautiful climax at the wondrous [[Ramona Falls]]. What used to be a popular family hike is no longer a walk in the park, however. A road washout in the mid-1990s caused the trailhead to be located 1.4 miles farther away at the Old Maid Sand Pit. In 2014, a hiker was swept off the seasonal footbridge at the [[Sandy River Crossing]] and drowned by rapidly rising waters after a sudden storm. The Forest Service has decided not to replace the bridge, so the crossing of the river, which you have to do going and coming, is now a ford or a careful balancing act on logs that change their position annually. Also, [[Ramona Falls]] became part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness in 2009, so consider this a hike into the backcountry with all the attendant precautions. Wear proper footwear, carry emergency essentials in your pack, and turn back if there is heavy rain. Do NOT attempt a crossing of the Sandy if the river is running fast, deep, and furiously.
-{{ramonacommon}}
-If you're not tired yet, there is a much longer trail option described here: [[Yocum Ridge Hike]]
+Two longer hikes that include [[Ramona Falls]] are the [[Muddy Fork Loop Hike]] and the [[Yocum Ridge Hike]]. This loop is also done in the winter on snowshoes or skis, but remember that the access road is gated further down from December 1st to April 1st.
-To get back to the trailhead you can return the way you came, but for a minimal additional effort you enjoy a some different scenery by returning via the the Creekside Ramona Falls Trail. This option is 0.3 mile longer but is shadier and hugs the babbling creek for the first mile.
+Take the wide, sandy trail leading up from the southeast corner of the parking area. You will be hiking among stunted mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine on a carpet of moss, pinemat manzanita, and reindeer lichen. Beginning in about 1780, pyroclastic flows from [[Mount Hood]] buried the Sandy River, which continues to change its course as it carves through the soft strata. Pass the first of at least three glacial river crossing signs warning about safe passage when waters are high. (There has been more than one drowning death in the area). Come to the [[Sandy River-Ramona Falls Trailhead Trail Junction]], and proceed past a large boulder to a stop sign, where you’ll need to fill out a free wilderness permit.
-Cross the footbridge at the base of the falls and turn to your left, following Ramona Creek. You may notice the [[Ramona Falls|Timberline Trail]] diverts off to the right (This used to be a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail until being rerouted to avoid crossing the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River). After about a 1/4 mile, watch to the for a huge rock wall to your right. These bluffs are at the base of Yocum Ridge to the northeast. If you weren't able to stop for lunch in the cool respite at Ramona Falls, you'll find plenty more opportunities on this pretty creek-side section. After about a mile your the trail veers away from the creek and heads north. Continue another 0.7 mile to the junction with the [[Pacific Crest-Ramona Falls Trail Junction|Pacific Crest Trail]].
+Hike onward through the trees, where the trail has been moved back away from the river after sections that were too close to the riverbank washed away. At 1.1 miles reach the bank of the river and then descend to the [[Sandy River Crossing]]. A bridge is no longer provided here, so you’ll need to pick one of the logs strewn across the water or attempt a ford (See [[Tips for Crossing Streams]]). This crossing is easiest from mid-summer to early fall. The trail picks up on the opposite bank and winds through an alder-colonized debris fan. Drop in and out of a gully, and head up parallel to the river in shady woods. Come to the [[Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail Junction]], and go left. The trail soon reaches [[Ramona Creek Bridge on Pacific Crest Trail|a footbridge over Ramona Creek]] and heads up the bank of the creek. At the well-signed [[Ramona Falls-Pacific Crest Trail Junction]], keep right.
-As well traveled and wide as the trail is in this next section, it is easy to take a wrong turn and end up miles from your destination, so read the signage carefully and keep tabs with your map.
+Pass through a stile (no horses are permitted on the Ramona Falls Trail) and head up through the shady woodland that has revegetated the pyroclastic flows. Cross a log footbridge, and hike up along lovely, burbling Ramona Creek, which flows through the duff carpet and mossy stones. Look left to note the wonderful pink and sandy andesite cliffs across the creek. Leave the stream to pass above a gully, and keep rising through mountain hemlock, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western red-cedar, lodgepole pine, rhododendron, and Sitka alder. Reach the junction with the Timberline Trail, and stay right to admire [[Ramona Falls]]' splashing veil from the footbridge that spans the creek here. There are plenty of places to sit and contemplate a while under the shady canopy although on a summer weekend, there may be throngs that have the same idea. <b>Do not climb the rocks at the base of the waterfall for better photos, as it is slippery and dangerous and blocks other people's views of the falls.</b>
-At the aforementioned junction, the PCT goes off to the right (eventually crossing the [[Muddy Fork Crossing on Pacific Crest Trail|Muddy Fork of the Sandy River]] and on up [[Bald Mountain]]). Instead, you will turn left, and continue on the Ramona Falls Trail. You'll pass another junction with a horse route and after about a half mile cross Ramona Creek again before merging back with the trail you came up on. Turn right here the way you came in.
+Continue on the Timberline Trail, and pass through a stock fence near a horse hitch. The trail drops among stunted mountain hemlocks and lodgepole pines to the [[Pacific Crest-Timberline Middle Trail Junction]], where you will turn right. The forest, with a salal understory, becomes shadier, and you get views down to the Sandy’s wide debris channel. Pass out of shady old growth to the stunted Old Maid Flat forest. The trail drops off the bench again and wends down among rhododendrons to the [[Pacific Crest-Sandy River Trail Junction]]. Keep left here to make the [[Sandy River Crossing]] and return to the trailhead.
-Just after the merge you'll again cross the Sandy River, then head left about a mile back to the trailhead.
 === Maps ===
-{{HikeMaps|latitude=45.37997|longitude=-121.77491}}
+{{HikeMaps|latitude=45.3856|longitude=-121.7916}}
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5359738.pdf  Sandy River Trail #770 (USFS)]
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd517650.pdf  Ramona Falls Trail #797 (USFS)]
+* Green Trails Maps: ''Government Camp, OR #461''
+* Adventure Maps: ''Mt. Hood Area''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Zigzag Ranger District''
+* Discover Your Northwest: ''Mt. Hood National Forest North: Trail Map & Hiking Guide''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Mt. Hood National Forest''
+* National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: ''Mount Hood''
+* Discover Your Northwest: ''Mt. Hood National Forest North''
 === Fees, Regulations, etc. ===
-* Northwest Forest Pass required
+* Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required at trailhead. Pass must be acquired beforehand as they are not sold at the trailhead.
+* Self-issued wilderness permit
+* Exercise caution at the [[Sandy River Crossing]]
-{{TripReports|Ramona}}
+{{TripReports|Ramona Falls}}
+* [https://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=26310  Ramona Falls 1/14]
-{{RelatedDiscussions|Ramona}}
+{{RelatedDiscussions|Ramona Falls}}
+* [https://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28179  Ramona Falls Sandy River Crossing 2019]
 === Guidebooks that cover this hike ===
-* ''Hiking Oregon's Geology'', by Ellen Morris Bishop
+* ''60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Portland'' by Paul Gerald
+* ''Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver'' by Douglas Lorain
+* ''I Heart Oregon (& Washington)'' by Lisa D. Holmes
+* ''Best Hikes Near Portland'' by Fred Barstad
+* ''Best Short Hikes in Northwest Oregon'' by Rhonda & George Ostertag
+* ''100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington'' by William L. Sullivan
+* ''Trips & Trails: Oregon'' by William L. Sullivan
+* ''105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest'' by Northwest Hiker
+* ''PDX Hiking 365'' by Matt Reeder
+* ''50 Hikes in Oregon'' by David L. Anderson
+* ''Take a Hike: Portland'' by Barbara I. Bond
+* ''Portland Hikes'' by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
+* ''Hiking Mount Hood National Forest'' by Marcia Sinclair
+* ''Hiking Oregon's Geology'' by Ellen Morris Bishop
+* ''Hiking Waterfalls in Oregon'' by Adam Sawyer
+* ''Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon'' by Bonnie Henderson
+* ''Oregon's Wilderness Areas'' by George Wuerthner
+* ''Around & About Mount Hood'' by Sonia Buist with Emily Keller
+* ''62 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades'' by Don & Roberta Lowe
+* ''70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades'' by Don & Roberta Lowe
+* ''Oregon's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking'' by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
+* ''Oregon Hiking'' by Sean Patrick Hill
+* ''Pacific Northwest Hiking'' by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
+* ''Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon'' by Ellen Morris Bishop
 === More Links ===
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53472  Sandy River Trail #770 (USFS)]
+* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53460  Ramona Falls Trail #797 (USFS)]
+* [http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53600  Ramona Falls Trailhead (USFS)]
+* [http://www.nwhiker.com/MHNFHike21.html  Ramona Falls Hike (Northwest Hiker)]
+* [https://rootsrated.com/portland-or/hiking/ramona-falls  Ramona Falls - Hiking (Roots Rated)]
+* [http://www.oregon.com/recreation/ramona-falls  Ramona Falls (Oregon.com)]
+* [http://www.backcountrycow.com/blog/2017/ramona-falls-hike-or  Ramona Falls Hike — Mt. Hood Wilderness, Oregon (Backcountrycow)]
+* [https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/oregon/hikes/ramona-falls-hike  Ramona Falls Hike (Outdoor Project)]
+* [http://thatoregonlife.com/2016/08/ramona-falls-oregon/  The Ramona Falls in Oregon is a Must-Do Adventure (That Oregon Life)]
+* [https://kristidoespdx.com/2016/10/hike-ramona-falls/  Hike: Ramona Falls (Kristi Does PDX)]
+* [https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/ramona-falls-trail  Ramona Falls Trail (All Trails)]
+* [https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7024808/ramona-falls-loop  Ramona Falls Loop (Hiking Project)]
+* [https://www.theoutbound.com/oregon/photography/hike-to-ramona-falls  Hike to Ramona Falls (The Outbound Collective)]
+* [http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_Hood_HikerDrowned.htm  Mt Hood solo hiker drowned while crossing swollen Sandy River (Traditional Mountaineering)]
+* [http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2014/08/post_153.html  "Ramona Falls Trail still may be dangerous; washed-out footbridge may not be replaced soon" (Oregon Live)]
+* [http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/falls.php?num=3992  Ramona Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)]
 === Contributors ===
 * [[User:retiredjerry]] (creator)

Difference between revisions of "Ramona Falls Loop Hike"

Difference between revisions of "Ramona Falls Loop Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Revision as of 19:32, 10 September 2019

Contents

Hike Description

Maps

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

More Links

Contributors