4.9 hr
Overview
At 4,959 feet, Mount Defiance is the highest point normally recognized as being part of the Columbia River Gorge. This hike, along with the accompanying Mount Defiance-Starvation Ridge Loop Hike, are commonly referred to as the most difficult day hikes in our region, starting at a mere 130 feet above sea level at Oregon's Starvation Creek State Park along Interstate 84. From there, it's a long way up, comparable to the vertical distance between Timberline Lodge and the summit of Mount Hood, making Mount Defiance an excellent training hike for mountaineers in late winter or early spring. In warmer months, it's simply a spectacular day-long adventure. In September 2017, a large section of the forest on the Mount Defiance Trail #413 was burned in the Eagle Creek Fire, including two areas which experienced crown fires. The trail remains in decent shape and constituted in places the easternmost extent of the burn, but as the fire snags age, they will fall down and create potential obstacles. You'll start by heading westward on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, which runs alongside I-84 from the Starvation Creek Trailhead. Get views to the the twin microdioritic intrusions of Shellrock Mountain and Wind Mountain as well as Dog Mountain right across the river. Enter shady maple woods, and look down to see markers dedicating this restored section of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Then pass the Historic Columbia River Highway-Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail Junction. In spring, candy flower blooms profusely alongside the paved surface. Reach two-tiered, 220-foot Cabin Creek Falls, where a huge fallen basalt boulder creates an almost hidden amphitheater. The waterfall sprays directly into this hidden area. The Historic Columbia River Highway heads back out to the freeway under a Douglas-fir/big-leaf maple canopy. At an open area, arrive at the Historic Columbia River Highway-Mount Defiance Trail Junction. Go left on a paved trail that passes through a circular picnic area. The Mount Defiance Trail p
Trail Stats
0.0 km
1475 m
1511 m
0 m
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Photos
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400px-DefianceOutAndBackMap
400px-DefianceOutAndBackMap
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160px-Mertens%27_coral_root_%28Corallorhiza_mertensiana%29%2C_Mt
250px-MtDefiance_north
250px-MtDefiance_north
250px-Slope_of_blackened_trunks%2C_Mt
250px-Slope_of_blackened_trunks%2C_Mt
250px-Shellrock_and_Wind_Mountains%2C_Mt
250px-Shellrock_and_Wind_Mountains%2C_Mt
250px-MtDefiance_LancasterFalls
250px-MtDefiance_LancasterFalls
400px-Mt
400px-Mt
TKO put tools to trail here.png
TKO put tools to trail here.png