Herman Creek-Wyeth Hike

Overview

This is a low-level hike, good for rainy days and winter months. The section on the Gorge Trail, which ends at the Wyeth Trailhead is the last addition to that project, completed in the 1990s, and essentially follows the boundary of the expanded Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. The hike covers typical low-level Columbia River Gorge topography, fauna and vegetation: coniferous woods with a liberal dosage of big-leaf maple, creek crossings, and several talus slopes; you will almost certainly see woodpeckers, Pacific wrens, and silently-flitting varied thrushes. In fall, fungi are profuse, but as with other sections of the Gorge Trail, the sounds of the Gorge as transportation corridor are never far away. A couple of viewpoints allow you to see across the river to the Washington shore. This area was affected by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, but along most of these lower slopes, the canopy is still intact and the understory plants are recovering from their roots. Expect to see a lot of scorched tree trunks, however. For those wanting a shorter outing, this is an excellent car shuttle opportunity. The path drops from the trailhead, but then switchbacks up twice before traversing. There are two more switchbacks in shady big-leaf maple, hemlock, Douglas-fir woods. Reach the powerline corridor and cross it, heading up to the right to reenter the woods. Here, you'll begin to see the effects of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, with the understory burned away but slowly recovering and the conifer canopy mostly intact. The path winds through an area of large, moss-covered boulders, and then passes an old forest track leading off the left. (This track drops down to Herman Creek Road.) Pass around the nose of a ridge, switchback twice, and traverse up to the junction with the Herman Bridge Trail #406E, 0.6 miles from the trailhead. Keep up on the main trail to switchback and then reach a bend in an old forest road. Stay right and head up the road, which levels in Douglas-fir, hemlock, and maple forest. You'll arrive at a five-way juncti

Trail Stats

Photos

500px-HermanWyethMap

500px-HermanWyethMap

250px-HermanWyeth4

250px-HermanWyeth4

250px-HermanWyeth3

250px-HermanWyeth3

250px-HermanWyeth1

250px-HermanWyeth1

400px-HermanWyeth2

400px-HermanWyeth2

TKO put tools to trail here.png

TKO put tools to trail here.png

Tags