Beacon Rock Hike

Overview

Beacon Rock is one of the most prominent and distinctive geological features in the Columbia River Gorge, an 848-foot landmark that was once the core of a volcano; what remains is what was not washed away by the massive force of ice-age flooding. It is one of the tallest monoliths (singular piece of rock) in North America, along with California's El Capitan, Georgia's Stone Mountain, and Wyoming's Devils Tower. The Beacon Rock Trail was built by Henry Biddle and Charles Johnson between 1915 and 1918. That makes it one of the oldest trails in our area. At the time, Biddle owned the rock, so he had complete latitude to blast and bridge his way to the top. Several trailside plaques commemorate his achievement. A November 2015 storm seriously damaged the trail, which was reopened in May 2016. Beacon Rock was originally named by Lewis & Clark on the Voyage of Discovery in 1805, but in later years was more commonly known as Castle Rock. The original name was restored in 1916 by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, at Biddle's request. Before Biddle purchased the rock and began trail construction, it had been slated for demolition; the rubble could have been used for either railroad construction or a new jetty at the mouth of the Columbia. Biddle's estate offered the rock and surrounding acreage to the state of Washington for $1, provided it be retained as a public park, a gift Washington State Parks initially declined until the State of Oregon indicated that it would be willing to maintain a state park on the north banks of the Columbia. Washington paid the fee in 1935, and the park now comprises 4,650 acres with nearly two miles of freshwater shoreline. Today's trail follows Biddle's original alignment, and it could hardly do anything else. After a short stroll through the woods, the trail hits the rock with a vengeance. It's not too steep, and most of the surface has been paved over the decades at one time or another. You'll walk on rock, small patches of cement paving, concrete platform bridges and wooden bridges.

Trail Stats

Photos

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Washington State's Beacon Rock, with Hamilton Mountain in the background. (Jen Thomas)

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The trails at Beacon Rock (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo

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The walk down is easier on the quads, if not the knees (Steve Hart)

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Looking up at the switchbacks (Steve Hart)

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A look down the trail across the west side of Beacon Rock (Steve Hart)

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