Revision as of 02:13, 26 February 2015

Calypso bulbosa aka Calypso orchid (cfm)

• Start point: Trout Creek Trailhead
• End point: Rooster Rock
• Trail Log: Trail Log
• Hike Type: Out and Back
• Distance: 7.0 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 2200 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Seasons: The trailhead is accessible all year, but the higher elevation sections of the trail will be snowy in winter.
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: Yes
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

The Trout Creek trail is a long mellow ascent into the Menagerie Wilderness. The climb is an easy steady 1600 foot gain through a mature forest of Douglas fir with huge rhododendrons in the understory. You will reach the Rooster Rock trail junction at almost 3 miles. Here, the trail gets steeper, but offers some switchbacks to modify your ascent. After the junction, the terrain becomes drier and rockier, and the still predominantly fir forest is now dotted with chinquapin, and some very large Pacific Madrones. Beware of poison oak in the open portions of the last half mile of the trail. From the junction, it's another half mile and 700 feet to the ridgetop.

Because of the dense forest, it's hard to get a good look Rooster Rock until it is right in your face. It is also a great challenge to find a good vantage point for photographing it. It's fun to scramble around the base of the rock, but unless you brought some climbing equipment, you will not be able to get to the top of it. You may just have to be content with turning left at the rock heading north and further uphill about 100 yards to a nearby flat rocky area which will bring you almost level to the top of Rooster Rock and offer some views of the nearby Cascade summits. This is a good picnic and turnaround point.

A lightly maintained user trail continues north from Rooster Rock and deteriorates the further you get away from it. It allows access to some of the other Menagerie pinnacles, but most climbers hike in from from the north side of the wilderness.

You can return the way you came or do this hike as a shuttle by leaving your bike or another vehicle at the Rooster Rock Trailhead, also located on Highway 20. The lower portion of the Rooster Rock Trail, from the Trout Creek trail junction is a steep 1.5 mile 1500 foot descent.

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder

Regulations or Restrictions, etc.

• A NW forest pass is needed to park at this trailhead.
• A Wilderness permit is needed to hike this area. They are available free at the trailhead. Party size is limited to 12.

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Rooster Rock via Trout Creek Trail Hike

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Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Rooster Rock via Trout Creek Trail Hike
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Guidebooks that cover this hike

• Hiking Oregon's Geology, by Ellen Morris Bishop
• 100 Hikes in Oregon's Central Cascades - , by William L. Sullivan

More Links

Contributors

• cfm (creator)