TOP 5

5 best hikes for autumn color in the Columbia River Gorge

Zach Urness
Salem Statesman Journal
The autumn colors are bright on the Klickitat Trail in autumn. The Klickitat Trail follows the Klickitat River for much of its journey. The trail is located in the Columbia River Gorge, near the small town of Lyle, Wash.

The Columbia River Gorge comes alive with autumn colors during September, October and into early November as deciduous trees of every stripe put on a natural fireworks display amid the waterfalls and forest.

From bigleaf maples to oaks, the trees with the best colors range from the lush western sections of the gorge to the more remote, dry eastern regions.

The Gorge is home to countless trails and hikes, but included below are the best during autumn.

This list was put together by the Statesman Journal outdoors staff and Maegan Jossy, program coordinator for Friends of the Columbia River Gorge.

5: Hamilton Mountain

This is a classic Gorge hike rich in waterfalls, cliffs and a forest with vine maples that light up with color.

The challenging 9.4-mile loop climbs 2,100 feet within Beacon Rock State Park on the Washington side of the Gorge. The fee to get into the park is $10.

The trail passes two waterfalls — Rodney and Hardy Falls — before climbing to viewpoints lining the cliffs near the 2,438-foot summit.

Directions: Follow I-5 north from Salem toward Portland. Merge onto I-205 toward the airport and cross the Columbia River into Washington. Merge onto Washington Highway 14. Follow it for 27 miles to Beacon Rock State Park. Coordinates: 45.6249, -122.0213.

4: Dry Creek Falls

This Gorge trail,  once bright gold maple trees and a scenic 75-foot waterfall, has changed quite a bit following the Eagle Creek Fire. 

It's still nice, but the burn of the maple trees in the fire means those spectacular fall colors aren't there in the way they were in the past. 

Still, it's a hike worth considering anytime.  

The easy to moderate 5 mile out-and-back hike begins below the Bridge of the Gods — spanning the Columbia River off I-84 — and runs along the Pacific Crest Trail for a little more than two miles before reaching a dirt road that leads to Dry Creek Falls. Colors are best in mid- to late October.

"The instant you start, the woods are very lush, mossy, beautiful and colorful," Executive Director of Hood River Chamber of Commerce Kerry Cobb said. "The trail is very good for kids. It's well worn, well marked, easy to find and has a nice solitary feel to it."

Directions: From Portland, drive east on I-84 to Cascade Locks. Take the first Cascade Locks exit. Drive under the Bridge of the Gods and immediately turn right on the road toward the Bridge of the Gods. Before you get to the tollbooth, you'll find the trailhead parking lot and large marker on the right, in the center of the road loop. Coordinates: 45.6622, -121.89599.

3: Latourell Falls Loop 

The nearest major waterfall to the Portland metropolitan area, this spectacular trail in Guy W. Talbot State Park offers bright autumn colors to augment the mist from 249-foot plunge of Latourell Falls (plus a second double-tiered falls).

The 2.4 mile hike is excellent in all seasons — but particularly in October and November.

The main falls can be seen from the parking area. A short hike takes you to the base of the falls and continues on a 2.4-mile loop that winds through a wooded area to Upper Latourell Falls and then back down to the main attraction.

Directions: From Portland, follow I-84 east to Exit 28. Turn right on Historic Highway and drive about three miles west to the Latourell Falls parking area. Coordinates: 45.53880, -122.21757.

2: Klickitat Trail

Spawning salmon and dusty fall colors highlight this Washington rail-to-trail hike along the Klickitat River. The hike is packed with oak trees and grassland that provides a dry, dusty contrast to the Willamette Valley.

The trail is 31 miles total, but there are two recommended options. The easiest to hike and access is the Lyle Trailhead (in the small town of Lyle, Wash.). From the trailhead, hike upstream along the river as far as your legs will take you, though the farther you go, the better. Fisher Hill Bridge, at mile four, is a good goal.

A second option is beginning at the more remote (and more scenic) Swale Canyon, which opens for foot travel in October. It's closed because of fire danger mid-June to October. A wide gravel path begins on the dry high Columbia River Plateau and drops into a beautiful, deep, remote canyon along Swale Creek.

The trail begins on Harms Road and continues 12 miles one-way to Wahkiacus Trail Access on a fairly easy downhill path. Hike as far as your legs will take you and turn back around.

Directions: Follow I-84 east from Portland. At Hood River, take exit 64 and cross the bridge ($1 toll) toward White Salmon, Wash. Turn right onto Highway 14 and drive 10 miles into Lyle.

Lyle trailhead: Turn left onto Highway 142, very briefly, to a trailhead on the left (coordinates: 45.69668, -121.29019).

Harms Road trailhead: From Lyle, take the Lyle-Centerville Highway for about 15 miles. Turn left on Harms Road. Drive north a half a mile and park just north of the bridge. There is a portable toilet at the trailhead (coordinates: 45.723836,-121.030826).

1: Cape Horn Loop

A short drive from Portland, this well-traveled route on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge explores a high bluff that's home to stunning views and a forest of bigleaf maples that light up in autumn with bright reds, golds and oranges.

The trail begins off Salmon Falls Road and, after traversing through forest, climbs 900 feet and 1.3 miles past numerous viewpoints and eventually Pioneer Point.

The trail continues through a forested summit area — bright colors looking down on the Columbia River — and crosses a few roads (so pay attention to signs pointing the correct direction) before heading all the way down to an underpass below Washington Highway 14.

The lower section of the trail, home to two miles of waterfalls and riverside views of the Columbia, is closed Feb. 1 to July 15 to protect Peregrine Falcon habitat. That means it's open in autumn and ready to be explored.

Directions: Follow I-5 north from Salem into Portland. Take I-205 across the Columbia River and into Washington and merge onto Washington Highway 14. Follow Highway 14 east to milepost 26.4 (about 20 miles east of the I-205 bridge). Take a left onto Salmon Falls Road, then an immediate right into the parking area. The trailhead is across the street on Salmon Falls Road. Coordinates: 45.58852, -122.17874.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for six years. He is the author of the book "Hiking Southern Oregon" and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Facebook at Zach's Oregon Outdoors or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.