The hikers in the distance in the view above offer a clue as to how this happens: as trails widen from overuse, hikers start waking side-by-side. Here, winter hikers have worn the new path to the left of the main trail tread in an effort to avoid standing water and mud in the main trail, which has become trenched from overuse:įurther up the trail, the path has become so wide that the edges are almost hard to determine: Over time, this has left roots of trees clinging to edge of the cliffs below exposed and unlikely to survive, making the trees themselves less likely to survive.īeyond the Coopey Falls viewpoint, the trail reaches the first of many sections showing the impact of year-round hiking on the trail. The damage here is fairly obvious: the original trail hugged the vegetation line along the right, but the crush of hikers attempting to view the falls has stripped away both vegetation and soil on the left. This badly eroded spot is the overlook above Coopey Falls, along the lower trail: This threatens not only the tree but also the trail, as tree roots are critical in holding steep, loose Gorge slopes together in a climate where annual rainfall exceeds 100 inches per year. Over time, this could damage the roots of the tree in the above photo to a point where it cannot survive. Along the lower section, the once-narrow traverse across moss and fern-covered talus slopes has broken down, with the path now straddling trees (the original trail is the upper third of the tread): The gradual deterioration of this old trail takes many forms. The Angels Rest trailhead was expanded and improved in 2000 to include stone walls and trailhead signage in the style found elsewhere along the Historic Columbia River Highway Add the emergence of year-round hiking on our low-elevation trails in recent years, and the unfortunate result is one of the most rapidly deteriorating trails in our region. The Angels Rest trail also has the distinction of being among the most accessible to Portland, with a trailhead located at a freeway interchange 30 minutes from downtown, and with enough parking to supply a small army. The 1,600 elevation gain over 2.4 miles to the top of Angels Rest is within reach for most hikers, yet challenging enough to give any hiker a thrill when reaching the rocky, often blustery summit. Since the Multnomah Falls Fire of 1991, the hike has offered a close-up look at a recovering forest along the upper reaches of the trail. The trail has a lot to offer, with sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge and a brief streamside section along Coopey Creek (which cascades over a pair of waterfalls below the trail). From Bridal Veil State Park, head about 0.5 mile east, with parking on the left.The (formerly skinny and shaggy) author on top of Angels Rest in 1981 and an older, wiser and (and much balder) version in 2013! Parking is on the right hand side of the highway. From Wahkeena Falls, head west apprximately 2.5 miles. Interstate 84 westbound (from Hood River): Take exit #35, keep going straight off the freeway, and take the Historic Highway just under 7.5 miles to the trailhead parking described above.Ĭolumbia River Highway approach: The trailhead is accessed from the historic highways. Hang a hard right right, heading west on the highway (signed for 'Crown Point'), and then almost immediately take another right into the nice big parking area signed for Angel's Rest. Continue uphill about 0.3 mile to the intersection with the Historic Highway. Ignore the righthand turn to the post office. Getting ThereInterstate 84 eastbound (from Portland): Take exit #28 for Bridal Veil. You will get some fresh air and your heart rate up a bit, and still only be gone for about 3 hours! You really can't beat it. Or just drive out, power up and back, and head back home. Haul up some coffee or a lunch or some fine scotch, hunker down at the often windy top, and enjoy a world-class view of the western Gorge. The trail is not too steep, but it's enough to make for a nice little workout. What makes it so wonderful is that it is easy to get to it's hikeable year round the trail goes across landslides, over a creek, past a waterfall, through burned areas that now sport great autumn color, over some exposed rocks, and out to an amazing viewpoint all in under 2.5 miles one way and thanks to the burn and a handful of other ecological factors, the trail boasts a pretty high variety of plants that put on shows at different times of the year. What makes this hike so wonderful is not any sense of remoteness or wilderness (you can see and/or hear I-84 most of the hike). Just about 30 minutes from most parts of Portland lies a gem of a hike to Angel's Rest.

Angels rest portland