Lamberson Spur Loop Hike

Overview

This long loop includes a classic, and almost forgotten, off-trail route up the eastern slope of Mount Hood. Essentially, you will be walking from the East Fork of the Hood River to the highest point on the Timberline Trail and then making your way down past such iconic features of Mount Hood as Gnarl Ridge, the Newton Creek Canyon, Lamberson Butte, and Elk Meadows. There is the optional short side trip, if you begin at the Tamanawas Falls Trailhead, to view beautiful Tamanawas Falls. The route described below approximates that in Don and Roberta Lowe's 50 Hiking Trails: Portland & Northwest Oregon although the scenery has changed since then with the effects of the 2008 Gnarl Ridge Fire. I have described the hike from both the trailheads listed above, the Tamanawas Falls option adding the falls and about a mile and a half to the Polallie option. WARNING: The Lamberson Spur Trail is an unmaintained, dead-end trail that requires excellent route-finding skills. You will probably lose the trail in its last mile, so pay attention to the directions. Beyond the last vestige of the Lamberson Spur Trail, which was never completed all the way to the Timberline Trail, you will make your way cross-country up a steep-sided ridge and across alpine fell fields to the Timberline. Allow plenty of time! From the Tamanawas Falls Trailhead: This trailhead has a restroom. The trail heads down to the high footbridge over the alder-shaded East Fork Hood River. At the junction after the bridge, go right on the East Fork Trail for Tamanawas Falls in woods of Douglas-fir, mountain hemlock, grand fir and silver fir with boxwood, vanilla leaf, twin flower, grouseberry, and vine maple. The trail rises on a steep slope above the East Fork, drops, and then rises again to offer a view over Highway 35. Then the tread drops to the East Fork-Tamanawas Falls Trail Junction. Go left and drop to cross the footbridge over Cold Spring Creek. The trail goes left up the cool, rushing creek, with Engelmann spruce and red-cedar added to the forest

Trail Stats

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