5.0 hr
Overview
At 4,959 feet, Mount Defiance is the highest point in the the Columbia River Gorge. This loop hike, with its almost 5,000-foot elevation gain, has become a popular training course for mountaineers and trail runners. It's also considered the toughest hiking challenge in the area. You begin at Starvation Creek State Park along Interstate 84 on the Columbia River. From there, it's a relentless ascent on the Mt. Defiance Trail, much of which was scorched in the September 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Take the Mt. Defiance Trail, rather than the Cutoff Trail, as you approach the summit to get more views of Cascade and Gorge peaks from an expansive talus slope. You way down will be via the Mount Defiance Cutoff Trail to the Mitchell Point Trail and east to Warren Lake. Below the lake, you'll intersect with the Starvation Ridge Trail, which descends rather ruthlessly down the spine of a narrow ridge. Splendid views open up after you exit the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness and reach the powerline corridor on the steep grassy slopes above the river. Give yourself plenty of time, and start early in the day; also, wait for good weather so you can enjoy the views along the way. You'll start by heading westward on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, which runs alongside I-84 from the Starvation Creek Trailhead. Get views to the the twin microdioritic intrusions of Shellrock Mountain and Wind Mountain as well as Dog Mountain right across the river. Enter shady maple woods, and look down to see markers dedicating this restored section of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Then pass the Historic Columbia River Highway-Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail Junction. In spring, candy flower blooms profusely alongside the paved surface. Reach two-tiered, 220-foot Cabin Creek Falls, where a huge fallen basalt boulder creates an almost hidden amphitheater. The waterfall sprays directly into this hidden area. The Historic Columbia River Highway heads back out to the freeway under a Douglas-fir/big-leaf maple canopy. At an open area,
Trail Stats
0.0 km
1514 m
1511 m
0 m
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Photos
400px-DefianceStarvationLoopMap
400px-DefianceStarvationLoopMap
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250px-View_down_to_Lindsey_Pond%2C_Starvation_Ridge_Trail
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250px-Mt
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250px-Bear_Lake_from_the_Mt
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250px-Slope_of_blackened_trunks%2C_Mt
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250px-Orange_honeysuckle_%28Lonicera_ciliosa%29%2C_Mt
400px-MtHoodFromMtDefiance
400px-MtHoodFromMtDefiance
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TKO put tools to trail here.png