Sherrard Point Hike

Overview

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'l

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