2.5 hr
Overview
This alpine hike begins at Cloud Cap Trailhead and quickly climbs to several soaring viewpoints above the spectacular Eliot Glacier and along the slopes of Cooper Spur before reaching the spectacular crest of Gnarl Ridge. The route also passes one of the surviving rustic stone shelters that once dotted the Timberline Trail. Historic Cloud Cap Inn is closed to the public, but the grounds of inn are worth a stop before or after your hike. Cloud Cap Trailhead is crowded on summer weekends, so try this one on a weekday, if possible. Though the hike is less than nine miles round trip, the route is high elevation, crosses several snowfields, and has loose and rugged trail conditions on the final mile to Gnarl Ridge, so you'll feel like you hiked farther. From the trailhead, walk through the picnic area/campground to a junction on the Timberline Trail. Head left and uphill for a short distance to another junction, where a spur trail to the South Eliot Glacier Moraine heads off to the right. Stay left on the Timberline Trail, following the sign pointing to Gnarl Ridge. Pass through a handsome old growth forest of huge mountain hemlock as you climb into the upper reaches of Tilly Jane Canyon. While the route is well-graded, it also travels across soft volcanic ash for the first mile. But as you round a bend into Tilly Jane Canyon, and views of Mount Hood loom ahead, you’ll forget the soft sand below your feet. In this section, the trail switchbacks up Tilly Jane Canyon amid boulders and scattered alpine wildflowers. If you’re hiking early in the season, expect lingering snow and watch for distinctive cairns with wooden posts to guide your way. Next, the trail enters a windswept forest of mountain hemlock and white bark pine and then exits near a junction with the Tilly Jane Trail. Turn right (uphill) here, following the sign to Cooper Spur. The spur is the hulking, rocky ridge straight ahead, but after 100 yards on this trail, watch on the right for the Cooper Spur Shelter at the 1.2 mile mark. Walk to the shelter on
Trail Stats
0.0 km
737 m
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Photos
350px-GnarlRidgeCloudCapMap
350px-GnarlRidgeCloudCapMap
250px-Whitebark_Ancient
250px-Whitebark_Ancient
250px-Small-flowered_paintbrush%2C_Gnarl_Ridge
250px-Small-flowered_paintbrush%2C_Gnarl_Ridge
250px-Cooper_Spur_Shelter
250px-Cooper_Spur_Shelter
400px-Gnarl_Ridge_View
400px-Gnarl_Ridge_View