8.1 hr
Overview
The “other” Eagle Creek does not have the splashy waterfalls and sheer gorge walls of the iconic hike of the same name in the Columbia Gorge although there are a couple of falls in the area that can be reached by an intense bushwhack. Rather, this trail rambles along the course of a main tributary of the Clackamas River in mossy Cascade foothills old growth with big trees that survived a series of burns in the second decade of the 20th century. In fact, the creek valley was much more open at that time, and the trail was originally constructed to allow cattle access for grazing, with permits dating back to 1901. Nowadays, forest flowers carpet the duff in spring and summer, and in fall you can take advantage of the fruiting of edible fungi. Several campsites along the trail beckon for a quiet night out, and the farther you hike in, the less likely you are to see traces of other humans. This is a great hike in the off-season when there is no snow below 2,500 feet, the main difficulty being finding the trailhead on an access road frequently used by logging trucks. Since this is an in and out hike, you can turn back whenever you want; the old Eagle Creek Riverside Camp is a good destination for a shorter outing.
Trail Stats
24.8 km
719 m
733 m
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Photos
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