Owl Point from Vista Ridge Hike

Overview

This is a highly rewarding trip for hikers wanting a lot of mountain scenery for a modest effort. The route was a long-forgotten segment of the Vista Ridge Trail until 2007, when volunteers from Oregon Hikers restored the route all the way to Owl Point. This effort involved clearing 178 logs from the trail that had accumulated over the past three decades, brushing out sections of trail that were so overgrown as to be impassable, and rebuilding the tread in spots where the elements had taken their toll. The trail rescue was in response to a USFS effort to turn this beautiful trail into a motorcycle playground, an idea that was finally put to rest in 2010, thanks to the involvement of many hiking advocates, including the Oregon Hikers community. The work by the original trail crew in 2007 gave rise to the establishment of Trailkeepers of Oregon (TKO). In July 2018, the continuing efforts of Trailkeepers of Oregon came full circle, and the Old Vista Ridge Trail #626A was officially recognized by the US Forest Service. TKO has pledged to keep the trail maintained as far as Owl Point. The view of Mount Hood from this trail is a rare and gorgeous perspective, and the trail is much lower than the adjacent trails to Mount Hood, and thus open earlier in summer (usually by early July) and much later in the fall (mid-November). This is an especially attractive hike in late afternoon, when the view from Owl Point is at its best, so it can also work as an add-on to longer trips to Elk Cove and Cairn Basin from the Vista Ridge Trailhead. The short spurs to The Rockpile and Owl Point follow informal trails that are usually well-marked and easy to follow. Print a copy of the map below to help you find trail junctions in the event that signage is missing. While this hike is usually open by late June, it is common for snow drifts to linger into early July along the last mile of the hike. The trail now essentially runs along the expanded boundary (2009) of the Mt. Hood Wilderness. The very beginning of the Old Vista Ridge Trail

Trail Stats

Photos

400px-BlueRidgePanMap

400px-BlueRidgePanMap

400px-OwlPointTrailMap

400px-OwlPointTrailMap

250px-OwlPoint01

250px-OwlPoint01

250px-OwlPoint02

250px-OwlPoint02

250px-BlueRidge06

250px-BlueRidge06

250px-BlueRidge04

250px-BlueRidge04

400px-OwlPoint05

400px-OwlPoint05

TKO put tools to trail here.png

TKO put tools to trail here.png

Tags