Cook Hill Loop Hike

Overview

Cook Hill, just to the east of Dog Mountain, serves as the latter’s poor cousin, but if you want solitude and an abundance of wildflower species in the spring, this is the place to go to avoid Dog’s crowds although it cannot quite replicate the spectacular meadow displays. The hike is all on unofficial trails and old road beds on public land save for a section of the ridge at the Cook Hill Saddle, which belongs to Broughton Lumber. There are two meadows to cross, a steep smaller meadow and the lengthy summit meadow, which has seen some grazing in the past. While all of the slopes were logged sometime in the 20th century, the forest wildflowers match those of the meadows in abundance and diversity. Note that the trail section which leads to the summit, constructed by Gorge activist Russ Jolley, can disappear in places as new growth engulfs it in the spring. The first time you're here, hike the loop counterclockwise as described to avoid the chance of losing Russ Jolley’s trail. When you return, you can go clockwise to get full frontal views of the Gorge as you descend from the summit of Cook Hill. There is no signage, but the routes are cleared by volunteers, usually every year. Cross Cook-Underwood Road and walk west on Jackson Road 0.2 miles below a hillside of oaks and grassy meadows. Past the End County Road sign, the pavement ends: keep straight to a fork, where you go right into the woods past an open gate with a No Trespassing sign that you can ignore. Note the piles of junk on your right. Switchback and exit the Douglas-fir forest to cross a grassy slope above a water tank. Views open up to the Columbia River and the Oregon side of the Gorge. Switchback again to get more views and then enter a mixed woodland of Douglas-fir and big-leaf maple. After a third switchback, head up more steeply and swing left. The road bed heads up above a steep gully with a rushing stream. At a break in the trees, go left to view a small waterfall and cascade. Cross the creek – at this point you have risen above the worst of

Trail Stats

Photos

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