Difference between revisions of "Sherrard Point Hike"

Revision as of 02:50, 10 September 2019

View north to Mt. St. Helens from Sherrard Point (Steve Hart)

Rock penstemon (Penstemon rupicola), Sherrard Point (bobcat)

Mt Hood from Sherrard Point (Steve Hart)

Winter at the summit, Sherrard Point (bobcat)

The short loop to Sherrard Point (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo

Start point: Larch Mountain Trailhead
End Point: Sherrard Point
Trail Log : Trail Log
Hike Type: Out and Back
Distance: 0.6 miles round trip
High point: 4,055 feet
Elevation gain: 170 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Seasons: Apr-Oct
Family Friendly: Yes
Backpackable: No
Crowded: Yes

This short walk on a paved trail does ascend a series of stairs, so it still could be a bit of a chore for those with heart problems. The destination is probably the best viewpoint in Multnomah County, the volcanic plug atop Larch Mountain known as Sherrard Point. Concrete panels at the site of the old lookout tell about the Cascade peaks in view, and there's an attractive and varied display of wildflowers around the rocky summit in early summer. Larch Mountain is the principal shield volcano in the Boring Lava Field and last erupted 1.4 million years ago. Larch's andesitic lava flows form the ramparts at Angels Rest. Note that the name 'Larch Mountain' is a misnomer: larch, a much coveted tree often used for telephone poles, does not grow here - the name was coopted by the timber trade to label noble fir, which thrives at this elevation.

From late November/early December through June, the road leading to the top of Larch Mountain is gated about four miles down, so during those months the trip to Sherrard Point becomes a nine-mile round-trip hike/ski/snowshoe, mostly on the snow-covered road.

The trail departs from the northeast corner of the Larch Mountain parking lot. You want the paved trail on the far right, closest to the pay station. The paved trail wanders slightly downhill through a montane forest of noble fir, silver fir, mountain hemlock, and western hemlock to a saddle, where you'll pass the Larch Mountain Trail coming in from the left. Then you come to several flights of stairs - about 125 steps in all. Near the top, you'll see a plaque commemorating Thomas H. Sherrard, an early Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor. Blooming on the steep rock faces in summer are Howell’s daisies, alumroot, rock penstemon, matted saxifrage, and Cardwell’s penstemon.

At the top, you'll find a flat cement viewpoint, fenced for safety. Below the point, you'll see a tarn and the crater meadow. The view extends to the coast range on the west and to Mount Defiance on the east. On the Washington side of the Gorge, you'll see Silver Star Mountain, Hamilton Mountain, Birkenfeld Mountain, and Table Mountain, while behind them rise the snowy peaks of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams. To the south, Mount Hood and the top of Mount Jefferson are visible.

On the return, you can make a mini-loop by going left at the junction in the saddle. The trail takes you up to the old automobile turnaround, which is lined by a low stone wall. There used to be a viewpoint here. From the south end of this turnaround, take the trail down into the picnic area, and keep going to reach the Larch Mountain Trailhead.

Maps

Maps: Hike Finder
Green Trails Maps: Bridal Veil, OR #428
Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - West #428S
Geo-Graphics: Trails of the Columbia Gorge
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: Columbia River Gorge
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required at the trailhead.
Restrooms and picnic area

Trip Reports

Search Trip Reports for Sherrard Point Hike

Larch Mt & Sherrard Point - 2017/03/12

Related Discussions / Q&A

Search Trail Q&A for Sherrard Point Hike

Guidebooks that cover this hike

Columbia Gorge Getaways by Laura O. Foster

Contributors

Stevefromdodge (creator)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:SherrardPoint1.JPG|thumb|400px|View north from Sherrard Point ''(Steve Hart)'']]
+[[Category:Northwest Oregon]]
+[[Category:Columbia River Gorge]]
+[[Category:Volcanic Feature Hikes]]
+[[Category:Former Lookouts]]
+[[Category:Easy Hikes]]
+[[Category:Family Hikes]]
+[[Category:Viewpoint Hikes]]
+[[Category:Hikes]]
+[[Image:SherrardPoint1.JPG|thumb|400px|View north to Mt. St. Helens from Sherrard Point ''(Steve Hart)'']]
+[[Image:Rock penstemon, Sherrard Point, Larch Mountain.jpg|thumb|250px|Rock penstemon ''(Penstemon rupicola)'', Sherrard Point ''(bobcat)'']]
 [[Image:SherrardPoint2.JPG|thumb|250px|Mt Hood from Sherrard Point ''(Steve Hart)'']]
+[[Image:John and the plug, Sherrard Point.jpg|thumb|250px|Winter at the summit, Sherrard Point ''(bobcat)'']]
+[[Image:SherrardPointMap.png|thumb|400px|The short loop to Sherrard Point ''(bobcat)'' Courtesy: ''Caltopo'']]
-* Start Point: [[Larch Mountain Trailhead]]
+{{Start point|Larch Mountain Trailhead}}
 * End Point: [[Sherrard Point]]
 * Trail Log : [[Sherrard Point Hike/Log|Trail Log]]
 * Hike Type: Out and Back
-{{Distance|0.4 miles}} round trip
+{{Distance|0.6 miles}} round trip
-{{Elevation gain|100 feet}}
+* High point: 4,055 feet
+{{Elevation gain|170 feet}}
 {{Difficulty|Easy}}
 * Seasons: Apr-Oct
@@ Line 15: / Line 28: @@
 === Hike Description ===
-This is a quickie stroll for those with no time, no gear or no fitness. The views are amazing!
+This short walk on a paved trail does ascend a series of stairs, so it still could be a bit of a chore for those with heart problems. The destination is probably the best viewpoint in Multnomah County, the volcanic plug atop Larch Mountain known as [[Sherrard Point]]. Concrete panels at the site of the old lookout tell about the Cascade peaks in view, and there's an attractive and varied display of wildflowers around the rocky summit in early summer. Larch Mountain is the principal shield volcano in the Boring Lava Field and last erupted 1.4 million years ago. Larch's andesitic lava flows form the ramparts at [[Angels Rest]]. Note that the name 'Larch Mountain' is a misnomer: larch, a much coveted tree often used for telephone poles, does not grow here - the name was coopted by the timber trade to label noble fir, which thrives at this elevation.
-The trail departs from the northeast corner of the Larch Mountain parking lot. You want the paved trail on the far right, closest to the pay station. The paved trail wanders slightly downhill for a bit. Then you come to a flight of about 50 rather uneven stairs upward. Near the top, you'll see a plaque commemorating Thomas H Sherrard, an early Mt Hood National Forest Supervisor.
+From late November/early December through June, the road leading to the top of Larch Mountain is gated about four miles down, so during those months the trip to [[Sherrard Point]] becomes a nine-mile round-trip hike/ski/snowshoe, mostly on the snow-covered road.
-At the top, you'll find a flat cement viewpoint, fenced for safety. On a clear day, you can see 5 glacier clad stratovolcanoes, all nicely labeled by concrete signs. The view extends to the coast range on the west and to Mt Defiance on the east. Sit back and enjoy!
+The trail departs from the northeast corner of the Larch Mountain parking lot. You want the paved trail on the far right, closest to the pay station. The paved trail wanders slightly downhill through a montane forest of noble fir, silver fir, mountain hemlock, and western hemlock to a saddle, where you'll pass the Larch Mountain Trail coming in from the left. Then you come to several flights of stairs - about 125 steps in all. Near the top, you'll see a plaque commemorating Thomas H. Sherrard, an early Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor. Blooming on the steep rock faces in summer are Howell’s daisies, alumroot, rock penstemon, matted saxifrage, and Cardwell’s penstemon.
+At the top, you'll find a flat cement viewpoint, fenced for safety. Below the point, you'll see a tarn and the crater meadow. The view extends to the coast range on the west and to [[Mount Defiance]] on the east. On the Washington side of the Gorge, you'll see [[Silver Star Mountain]], [[Hamilton Mountain]], [[Birkenfeld Mountain]], and [[Table Mountain]], while behind them rise the snowy peaks of [[Mount Saint Helens]], [[Mount Rainier]], and [[Mount Adams]]. To the south, [[Mount Hood]] and the top of [[Mount Jefferson]] are visible.
+On the return, you can make a mini-loop by going left at the junction in the saddle. The trail takes you up to the old automobile turnaround, which is lined by a low stone wall. There used to be a viewpoint here. From the south end of this turnaround, take the trail down into the picnic area, and keep going to reach the [[Larch Mountain Trailhead]].
 === Maps ===
 {{HikeMaps|latitude=45.53269|longitude=-122.08774}}
+* Green Trails Maps: ''Bridal Veil, OR #428''
+* Green Trails Maps: ''Columbia River Gorge - West #428S''
+* Geo-Graphics: ''Trails of the Columbia Gorge''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: ''Columbia River Gorge''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Zigzag Ranger District''
+* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Mt. Hood National Forest''
 === Fees, Regulations, etc. ===
-* Northwest Forest Pass required at the trailhead.
+* Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required at the trailhead.
+* Restrooms and picnic area
 {{TripReports|{{PAGENAME}}}}
-* (Click [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ForumID=8 here] to add your own)
+* [https://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25141  Larch Mt & Sherrard Point - 2017/03/12]
 {{RelatedDiscussions|{{PAGENAME}}}}
 === Guidebooks that cover this hike ===
-* ''Day Hike! Columbia Gorge'', by Seabury Blair, Jr.
+* ''Columbia Gorge Getaways'' by Laura O. Foster
-* ''Afoot and Afield Portland/Vancouver'', by Douglas Lorain
-* ''35 Hiking Trails, Columbia River Gorge'', by Don & Roberta Lowe
-* ''Columbia River Gorge, 42 Scenic Hikes'', by Don & Roberta Lowe
-* ''Hiking the Columbia River Gorge'' - 1st and 2nd Editions, by Russ Schneider
-* ''100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon'' - 3rd Edition, by William L Sullivan
 === More Links ===
-* [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/153640/larch-mountain.html Larch Mountain on Summit Post]
+* [http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=30070  Sherrard Point Trail #443 (USFS)]
+* [http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=29942  Larch Mountain Picnic Area (USFS)]
+* [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/153640/larch-mountain.html  Larch Mountain (Summit Post)]
+* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larch_Mountain_(Multnomah_County,_Oregon)  Larch Mountain (Multnomah County, Oregon) (Wikipedia)]
+* [http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/larch_mountain.html  "Larch Mountains, Washington and Oregon" (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)]
+* [http://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/oregon/special-destinations/larch-mountain-sherrard-point  Larch Mountain, Sherrard Point (Outdoor Project)]
+* [http://www.brianbailey.us/blog/greatest-viewpoint-%E2%80%93-sherrard-point/  The Greatest Viewpoint of them all – Sherrard Point (Brian's Brain Dump)]
 === Contributors ===
 * [[User:Stevefromdodge|Stevefromdodge]] (creator)
-[[Category:Columbia River Gorge]]
-[[Category:Paved Access]]
-[[Category:Easy Hikes]]
-[[Category:Family Hikes]]

Difference between revisions of "Sherrard Point Hike"

Difference between revisions of "Sherrard Point Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Revision as of 02:50, 10 September 2019

Contents

Hike Description

Maps

Fees, Regulations, etc.

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

More Links

Contributors