3.2 hr
Overview
The Waucoma Ridge is the watershed between the Gorge face creeks and the Hood River drainage. This hike takes you to four high Gorge lakes and the upper ends of trails not often traveled by the casual dayhiker. As a bonus, you will get views from Green Point Mountain, visit a World War II signal hut, and stand among impressive old growth. The hike can be made shorter by eliminating the Wahtum Lake portion (3.1 miles) and/or the loop up to Green Point Mountain (2.4 miles). This loop could also be accomplished from the Wahtum Lake Trailhead. You can see all five named lakes on the north side of Waucoma Ridge by adding the Bear Lake Hike from the Upper Mount Defiance Trailhead. From the parking area at the campground, head up past the misspelled sign for the “Rainey Lake Trail.” Enter the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness and rise to the Sitka alder-lined shore of Rainy Lake, offering a view up to Green Point Mountain. The Rainy Lake Trail goes right here along the low earth dam that contains the lake. The alders conceal views as you negotiate a buckled bridge that spans the outlet creek. Head into a montane woodland with a bear-grass carpet, pass an alder-rimmed meadow on your right, and reach the North Lake-Rainy Lake Trail Junction. Keep right here for the 0.6 mile diversion to North Lake. Drop into lush old growth silver fir, noble fir, mountain hemlock woodland with thickets of devil's club. Then rise in silver fir, noble fir, western hemlock, mountain hemlock and Douglas-fir forest with some western white pine and Alaska yellow-cedar. There are three junctions just east of the lake. Keep left at a tie trail heading to the Wyeth Trail and then go left at another junction to reach the shore of North Lake. Return the way you came to the North Lake-Rainy Lake Trail Junction. Go right here through bouldery woods and then make a traverse up a talus slope skirted with vine maple. Get a view to Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Goat Rocks, and Mount Defiance. Pass below a penstemon-bejewelled cliff before reaching the Gorton
Trail Stats
0.0 km
966 m
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Photos
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