BEACON ROCK
Roundtrip: 1.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Green Trails Map: Columbia River Gorge- West no. 428S
Permit required: none
Difficulty: moderate
Best Season: spring, fall
Dogs allowed on leash but not recommended
Contact: Beacon Rock State Park www.parks.wa.gov/
Trailhead directions: Follow SR 14 to Beacon Rock State Park. Trailhead is located on opposite side of campground entrance.
More information: Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge-Romano (Mountaineers Books 2011)
Follow a twisting trail of ramps and stairways to the top of the largest basalt monolith in the Northwest. Then take in breathtaking views of the Columbia River from this 848-foot core of an ancient volcano. The trail starts right at the base of the imposing landmark. Follow it first gently; then commence climbing on a trail that is truly one of the engineering marvels of the hiking world. By way of dangling catwalks and stairways and switch-backing ramps, the sturdy trail ascends the rock’s sheer face. Iron casings and railings provide safety, but keep children close by.
After twisting and turning for nearly a mile, the trail ends on top of the rock. Views are breathtaking from the Bonneville Dam in the east to Crown Point in the west. Imagine Lewis and Clark plying the river before you over 200 years ago. It was they who named the rock back on October 31, 1805. And it was here at Beacon Rock that they first noticed tidal influences in the river. Yet, nearly 150 miles inland from the Pacific it would still be sometime before “Ocean in view!”
-Craig Romano
About Gorge Guide Hiking Expert, Craig Romano
An avid hiker, runner, kayaker, cyclist, and dedicated conservationist, Craig has written about these passions for over two dozen publications and websites. An award-winning author of eight books, Craig’s latest title, Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge (Mountaineers Books) was released in the spring of 2011 to help commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Act. Detailing over 100 hikes from the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge; this wonderful guidebook also has chapters on the Trapper Creek Wilderness, Portland, Vancouver-Clark County, and the Silver Star Scenic Area.
Craig first saw the Columbia River in 1980 while on a cross-country bicycle trip from the East Coast. Nine years later Washington State became his home. From Alaska to Argentina, Sicily to South Korea, Craig has hit the trail seeking wild and spectacular landscapes. He ranks Washington State among the most beautiful places on the planet and he has thoroughly hiked it, over 14,000 miles worth. And Oregon too he has spent many a mile hiking.
Visit him at http://CraigRomano.com and on Facebook at “Craig Romano Guidebook Author.”
