NW Trails: Gorgeous Spring Wildflowers
Columbia River Gorge’s basalt bluffs burst with blossoms in the springtime!
Story and Photos by Craig Romano
The only thing surpassing the Columbia River Gorge’s stupendous waterfalls is its spring wildflower display. Blessed with abundant sunshine, the Gorge’s eastern reaches are painted from April through June in a brilliant mosaic of colors.
Scores of flowering species — some found nowhere else in the world — help make one of the Northwest’s most dramatic landscapes even more stunning.
Here are three choice hikes for frolicking among the flowers.
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Dog Mountain
Roundtrip: 6.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,900 feet
Green Trails Map: Columbia River Gorge West – No. 428S
Fees/Restrictions: Northwest Forest Pass required; Dogs Permitted on Trail
A pair of hikers ascend Dog Mountain high above the Columbia River Gorge.
Dog Mountain straddles the transition zone between swirling clouds and golden rays of sun, offering one of the most spectacular hikes within the Columbia River Gorge. Sun-kissed meadows on this riverside peak burst with wildflowers. Dog’s floral shows are legendary, and so are its views. But be forewarned, the hike isn’t easy. Lots of elevation gain and a steep grade make this a dog of a hike!
From the trailhead, immediately begin climbing. Don’t stray from the wide trail unless you’re immune to poison oak. But do admire the Oregon white oaks and elegant ponderosa pines shading the way. After about .6 mile reach a junction. The trail left is the older, steeper, less scenic route. Bear right and continue ascending, eventually reaching a grassy knoll providing a preview of the views that await at the summit.
Re-enter forest and meet up once again with the Old Trail. Continue straight on an insanely steep grade entering soon enough the famed flowered upper slopes of the mountain. Embrace a carpet of dazzling flowers: balsamroot, paintbrush, lupine, lilies, and a myriad of others against a gorgeous backdrop of conical Wind Mountain and the buttressed ridges of Oregon’s Mount Defiance rising above the Columbia. It’s pure quintessential Columbia Gorge majesty.
Soon reach another junction. Bear left traversing more meadows and skirting over and beneath small cliffs. Reach a junction with the Augspurger Trail Connector and continue right .1 mile to Dog’s summit. Soak up the views — from Hood to St. Helens to Silver Star. You earned it.
Stacker Butte
Roundtrip: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,150 feet
Green Trails Map: Columbia River Gorge East – No. 432S
Fees/Restrictions: Dogs prohibited
Stacker Butte is the centerpiece of the 3,594-acre Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve, a land of oak and pine woodlands, grasslands, and rare plants. While this hike consists of walking a service road to a ridge sporting various communication towers, in no way does that diminish this journey.
The road is rarely traveled and you’ll hardly notice the towers. You’ll be awestruck instead by one of the finest floral shows in the entire Pacific Northwest. Balsamroot, lupine, paintbrush, phlox, larkspur, desert larkspur, and others paint this Columbia Hills peak in a radiant array of color. And the sweeping horizon-kissing views aren’t too shabby either.
Don’t stray from the road for these slopes sport some of Washington’s last rarest plants: obscure buttercup, Douglas’ draba, and hot-rock penstemon to name a few. The road climbs steadily across wide open slopes. Views get better with each step. From March to May, the flowers are profuse! Scampering ground squirrels, melodious meadowlarks, and flittering butterflies may periodically draw your attention away from the blossoms.
At just over one mile, bear left at a rutted track. Continue climbing, cresting the ridge and reaching a large tower. With the summit now in view, ascend some more, eventually reaching Stacker Butte’s 3,200-foot summit, occupied by an intriguing aviation tower. Cast it a glance, and then scan the horizons south to endless wheat fields and Mount Hood pointing to the heavens; west to Mount Defiance shadowing surrounding peaks; east to golden hills sporting giant wind turbines; and north to Mount Adams rising above Swale Canyon.
Tom McCall Point
Roundtrip: 3.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet
Green Trails Map: Columbia River Gorge East – No. 432S
Fees/Restrictions: Dogs prohibited; Trail open May 1 to Oct. 31.
Wildflowers are plentiful and blooming this time of year at Tom McCall Point.
The only thing better than the far-flung views from this peak, named in honor of one of Oregon’s conservation heroes, Tom McCall, are the flowers. They carpet the peak’s open slopes, accent its abrupt ridges, and decorate its oak and pine groves in a multitude of brilliant colors. Over 200 species of plants thrive at this Nature Conservancy preserve, including several endemic only to the Gorge.
Head south across the edge of stark basalt cliffs, coming to an old road at the base of a talus slope. Then turn left, skirting the talus traveling through showy plumes of desert parsley. The trail then emerges onto an upper plateau exploding with blossoms. Lupine and balsamroot dominate, draping the hillside in enough purple and gold to make a UW Husky proud — and a UO Duck unnerved!
The trail continues up a steep ridgeline before traversing sun-kissed flowery slopes. At 1.6 miles and 1,000 vertical feet of climbing, crest McCall Point’s round, grassy summit. Savor the blossoms — grass widows, prairie stars, shooting stars, Indian paintbrush, Oregon sunshine — and scores more! The views are pretty darn impressive too: Stacker Butte to the east, and Mount Defiance, king of the Gorge, to the west. Look north, too, catching a glimpse of snowy Mount Adams and south to equally snowy Mount Hood.
Trailhead Directions
Dog Mountain: From Vancouver, Wash. follow SR 14 east for 54 miles to trailhead.
Stacker Butte: From The Dalles, Ore. follow US 197 (Exit 87 on I-84) north for 3.3 miles turning east onto WA SR 14. After .9 mile turn left onto the graveled Dalles Mountain Road. Proceed 3.4 miles to an old ranch and turn left. Continue 1.4 miles to a gate. Park here, being sure not to block gate.
Tom McCall Point: From Portland follow I-84 east to Mosier Exit 69. Then continue east on US 30 (Historic Columbia Highway) for 6.6 miles to trailhead at Rowena Crest Viewpoint.
Resources
Dog Mountain: Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area; www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia
Stacker Butte: Washington DNR Southeast Region; www.dnr.wa.gov
Tom McCall Point: Oregon Nature Conservancy; www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon
Craig Romano is Trails Editor of Outdoors NW and is the author of eight Northwest hiking guidebooks including his latest Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge (The Mountaineers Books), which includes 100 hikes in the gorge. Visit him at http://CraigRomano.com.
Trail Buzz
Book Review — Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge
By Craig Romano
Paperback, 287 pages
Mountaineers Books, $18.95
In celebration of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area’s 25th anniversary,
Outdoors NW Trails Editor Craig Romano’s newest guidebook is your passport to explore
the Gorge’s beautiful landscapes. This book serves up a veritable menu of 100 diverse day hikes, spotlighting Oregon and southern Washington scenery rich with waterfalls, wildflowers, alpine lakes, dazzling volcano views, and more. Small and portable, too, this book is an easy tuck into your day pack.
25 Years, 25 Trails Hiking Challenge in the Gorge
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area by joining the Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s 25 Years, 25 Trails Hiking Challenge to hike the top 25 trails in the Gorge. Between now and Oct. 31, you can register for the challenge online and sign up for Friends-guided hikes or head out on your own. Participants are eligible for commemorative water bottles and entrance into a raffle drawing for prizes including a two-night stay at Skamania Lodge. www.gorgefriends.org.
