Trip Report: Beacon Rock Hike
When: 12/27/2017
Location: Beacon Rock
Conditions: Light snow and thick fog. Cold conditions with light rain.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Usefull links: www.oregonhikers.org
The Full Report:
I've been hiking in Washougal, WA lately and thought that a longer loop hike would be a great way to build up endurance and spend the day off work. While I initially had planned to hike Three Corner's Rock in Washougal, due to icy conditions along the side roads leading up to the hike, I decided to play it safe and return to a classic hike I knew would offer great views, Beacon Rock.
Many folks visit this 840-foot basalt monolith each year, and as a short hike with a beautiful viewing area at the end, this hike is a pet-friendly, kid-friendly, and beginner friendly hike to start adventuring outside if you are excited to get out hiking. On this blustery winter day, my friend Zach decided to come with me to escape Portland, and I was happy to reunite and start our hiking tradition once again. We left Portland at 9 am, and arrived around 10:30 am to a parking lot heavily dusted with snow and ice. Remember that this hike requires a Discover Pass which can be purchased for $10 dollars at a kiosk in the parking lot and a ranger station is nearby, so permits are strictly enforced.
After shuffling out into the cold to grab a pass, Zach and I embarked on the short hike up and were greeted by a snowy trail leading to the first trail marker. The trail marker for Beacon Rock is clear and directs you up the side of the monolith through a metal gate. At this point, the incline begins as you traverse rickety wooden bridges, all while being enthralled by the larger than life rock face right next to you. No need to worry though, even though the small wooden crossings felt a bit unstable, they are reinforced by large beams and the exposure is really what makes this hike a bit scary (and exciting I might add!)
Around each switchback, there are more and more picturesque views as you climb higher and higher, and even with some foggy conditions, Zach and I were blown away by the views in the valley and of the Columbia River. There are many tributaries directly below which feed into the Columbia, and the green pastureland and marshes below the treeline offer gorgeous views that demarcate where each small ecosystem ends, and the next begins.
After the back and forth traverse section of the trail, the hike meanders up some of the exposed sediment on Beacon Rock and if you had forgotten you were on a monolith, you would think this was any other Gorge hike with towering Douglas Fir, the fresh smell of pine, and the thick canopy overhead. We walked past a few more switchbacks and before we knew it, we were scrambling up the last rocky portion of the hike, where a weathered plaque and educational info board awaited us.
By this point, we were drenched with jackets that had wetted out, but still retained our chipper attitudes and senses of accomplishment as we beamed at the view before us. We sat at the viewpoint for a few minutes, and while we contemplated the grandeur of the view we were taking in, we happened to look at the educational info marker describing the violent origins of the Gorge and Beacon Rock. Around 50 or 60 thousand years ago, Beacon Rock was created by eruptions from the Boring Volcanic Range and is actually a small volcano that has been eroded away by the Missoula flood events.
Soon thereafter we quickly headed down the trail, being careful not to slip on the traversing planks we had just so gingerly walked up, and returned to the parking lot drenched, but satisfied with the improvised adventure we had taken.
The Full Report:
I've been hiking in Washougal, WA lately and thought that a longer loop hike would be a great way to build up endurance and spend the day off work. While I initially had planned to hike Three Corner's Rock in Washougal, due to icy conditions along the side roads leading up to the hike, I decided to play it safe and return to a classic hike I knew would offer great views, Beacon Rock.
Many folks visit this 840-foot basalt monolith each year, and as a short hike with a beautiful viewing area at the end, this hike is a pet-friendly, kid-friendly, and beginner friendly hike to start adventuring outside if you are excited to get out hiking. On this blustery winter day, my friend Zach decided to come with me to escape Portland, and I was happy to reunite and start our hiking tradition once again. We left Portland at 9 am, and arrived around 10:30 am to a parking lot heavily dusted with snow and ice. Remember that this hike requires a Discover Pass which can be purchased for $10 dollars at a kiosk in the parking lot and a ranger station is nearby, so permits are strictly enforced.
After shuffling out into the cold to grab a pass, Zach and I embarked on the short hike up and were greeted by a snowy trail leading to the first trail marker. The trail marker for Beacon Rock is clear and directs you up the side of the monolith through a metal gate. At this point, the incline begins as you traverse rickety wooden bridges, all while being enthralled by the larger than life rock face right next to you. No need to worry though, even though the small wooden crossings felt a bit unstable, they are reinforced by large beams and the exposure is really what makes this hike a bit scary (and exciting I might add!)
Around each switchback, there are more and more picturesque views as you climb higher and higher, and even with some foggy conditions, Zach and I were blown away by the views in the valley and of the Columbia River. There are many tributaries directly below which feed into the Columbia, and the green pastureland and marshes below the treeline offer gorgeous views that demarcate where each small ecosystem ends, and the next begins.
After the back and forth traverse section of the trail, the hike meanders up some of the exposed sediment on Beacon Rock and if you had forgotten you were on a monolith, you would think this was any other Gorge hike with towering Douglas Fir, the fresh smell of pine, and the thick canopy overhead. We walked past a few more switchbacks and before we knew it, we were scrambling up the last rocky portion of the hike, where a weathered plaque and educational info board awaited us.
By this point, we were drenched with jackets that had wetted out, but still retained our chipper attitudes and senses of accomplishment as we beamed at the view before us. We sat at the viewpoint for a few minutes, and while we contemplated the grandeur of the view we were taking in, we happened to look at the educational info marker describing the violent origins of the Gorge and Beacon Rock. Around 50 or 60 thousand years ago, Beacon Rock was created by eruptions from the Boring Volcanic Range and is actually a small volcano that has been eroded away by the Missoula flood events.
Soon thereafter we quickly headed down the trail, being careful not to slip on the traversing planks we had just so gingerly walked up, and returned to the parking lot drenched, but satisfied with the improvised adventure we had taken.