Camp Benson Falls Hike

Overview

This hike on the newest section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail takes you past a couple of well-known waterfalls and then beyond the crowds to a viewpoint above the Columbia River. From the paved trail, you can take a powerline maintenance track to a view of pretty Camp Benson Falls (sometimes called Lower Summit Creek Falls) on Summit Creek, best seen from mid-fall to mid-spring. The walking is easy here and suitable for most family groups who can make the five-mile round trip. Begin hiking west next to the freeway on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. Views extend to the the twin microdioritic intrusions of Shellrock Mountain and Wind Mountain as well as Dog Mountain right across the river. You'll 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, arrive at the Historic Columbia River Highway-Mount Defiance Trail Junction . Turn left here on a paved trail that passes through a circular picnic area. The Mount Defiance Trail picks up its normal tread here, and 95-foot Hole in the Wall Falls can be viewed from the picnic circle. This waterfall is an unusual manmade affair. Highway crews drilled a tunnel through the rock and diverted Warren Creek here in 1938 to resolve issues with the creek undermining the highway. The water emerges from a lengthy tunnel and immediately falls, creating the waterfall. Hikers looking for a little more historical interest can follow the old creek bed up to the left a little to the original location of Warren Falls, which now r

Trail Stats

Photos

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The route using the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail to reach Camp Benson Falls (bobcat) Courtesy: Google Maps

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Near the 2019 viewpoint, Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail (bobcat)

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Picnic table and Hole in the Wall Falls (bobcat)

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Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) , Historic Columbia River Highway (bobcat)

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Dog Mountain from the Historic Columbia River Highway (bobcat)

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Camp Benson Falls, on Summit Creek (bobcat)

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