Wygant Peak Hike

Overview

NOTICE: As per Oregon State Parks: "The I-84 Exit 58 offramp that leads to Mitchell Point Overlook and Mitchell Point Trailhead will be closed until 2023 while ODOT rebuilds the historic Mitchell Point Tunnel." This varied hike to Wygant Peak packs a lot of scenery into the four miles up to the viewless summit. When the trail was first created by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934, there were numerous open vistas at various points, including the summit, but the coniferous forest grew up, and the path deteriorated over time. Note, however, that Northwest Youth Corps and Trailkeepers of Oregon crews have now maintained the length of the tread, and the route is clear and easily followed compared to the past. The notorious swathes of poison oak have been trimmed back from the trail verges. This trip can be tailored to your ability or time constraints as there are several good turnaround points at views over the Columbia River Gorge. Also, the route uses 35 well-graded switchbacks, so the elevation gain never feels too onerous. The trail runs mostly through state park land, but the summit ridge at Wygant Peak is in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. You can continue down from the peak a short distance to Wygant Meadow, which offers a sunny lunch spot and views west to Mount Defiance and Table Mountain. The trip begins at the Mitchell Point Trailhead, located at Exit 58 on Interstate 84 eastbound. Walk the entry drive downhill, and bear left on an abandoned section of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Pass two wooden bollards and an open gate at a Wygant Trail sign. The trail follows the old highway under a shady maple/Douglas-fir canopy for a quarter mile before a short segment veers off the highway grade to the left, crossing Mitchell Creek on stepping stones. It then curves back above a diversion ditch, constructed to carry Mitchell Creek on a less precipitous route so it wouldn't spread debris over the old highway. Soon, you'll be following another abandoned highway stretch, this one cloaked with poison

Trail Stats

Photos

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