1.1 hr
Overview
The Ramona Falls Hike is a favorite summer destination for outdoor enthusiasts due to the gradual elevation gain, relative proximity to Portland, and its beautiful climax at the wondrous Ramona Falls. What used to be a popular family hike is no longer a walk in the park, however. A road washout in the mid-1990s caused the trailhead to be located 1.4 miles farther away at the Old Maid Sand Pit. In 2014, a hiker was swept off the seasonal footbridge at the Sandy River Crossing and drowned by rapidly rising waters after a sudden storm. The Forest Service has decided not to replace the bridge, so the crossing of the river, which you have to do going and coming, is now a ford or a careful balancing act on logs that change their position annually. Also, Ramona Falls became part of the Mt. Hood Wilderness in 2009, so consider this a hike into the backcountry with all the attendant precautions. Wear proper footwear, carry emergency essentials in your pack, and turn back if there is heavy rain. Do NOT attempt a crossing of the Sandy if the river is running fast, deep, and furiously. Two longer hikes that include Ramona Falls are the Muddy Fork Loop Hike and the Yocum Ridge Hike. This loop is also done in the winter on snowshoes or skis, but remember that the access road is gated further down from December 1st to April 1st. Take the wide, sandy trail leading up from the southeast corner of the parking area. You will be hiking among stunted mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine on a carpet of moss, pinemat manzanita, and reindeer lichen. Beginning in about 1780, pyroclastic flows from Mount Hood buried the Sandy River, which continues to change its course as it carves through the soft strata. Pass the first of at least three glacial river crossing signs warning about safe passage when waters are high. (There has been more than one drowning death in the area.) Come to the Sandy River-Ramona Falls Trailhead Trail Junction, and proceed past a large boulder to a stop sign, where you’ll need to fill out a fre
Trail Stats
0.0 km
315 m
1057 m
0 m
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