It’s 8 o’clock on a cold, damp October morning. The clouds hang low over the Columbia as you take exit 41 on I-84 and drive past the Eagle Creek fish hatchery to the Eagle Creek trailhead. You smile, noting that there are exactly two other cars parked at this popular jumping off point.

It’s thirty-eight degrees. That’s where the “chills” part comes from. The thrills, however, you will rack up over the course of the day.

Welcome to the Eagle Creek Trail.

This trail hardly needs an introduction for Portlanders. On weekends in the late summer and early fall, you’ll be hard pressed to snag a parking spot, and if you’re lucky and get a parking space, you will likely find the box containing parking permits empty (frequent hikers know to get a $30 annual NW Forest Pass). Even on days when day hikers crowd the trail, it’s a hike rich in rewards: beautiful waterfalls, a dramatic canyon, a laughing creek whose music is constantly in your ears while you hike.

Getting into this time of year, when daytime temperatures may not crack 50 degrees, you’ll face a lot less competition for solitude on this trail. The beauty of this is, you won’t be any colder or more uncomfortable, provided it’s not pouring rain, than if you had gone in the summer. You’ve just got to dress right. As they say in Scandinavia, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.

So, ready to hit the trail yet?

Many hikers never get past Punchbowl falls; many more never make it past Tunnel Falls. For serious hikers however, the beauty of Eagle Creek lies in the ways you can customize your hike or backpacking trip. Eagle Creek is truly a jumping off point for exploring the entire Columbia River Gorge.

I recently wrote a Squidoo Lens on the Eagle Creek Trail. It covers the basics of the trail: how to get there, the main attractions, and what to expect between the trailhead and Tunnel Falls. Be sure to check it out, and fave it if you enjoy it!

There is an amazing range of backpacking trips you can take with Eagle Creek as a starting point. Trails split off from Eagle Creek in all directions, giving you the option to explore many parts of the Gorge before you’re done. Many trails in the gorge most commonly hiked as day hikes are interconnected, making it possible to hike from Hood River to Multnomah Falls, if one were so inclined.

You need not be so ambitious, however. Whether you want a long day hike, an overnighter, a 2-nighter, 3-nighter, or more, there’s a tailor-made trip in the Gorge for you starting at Eagle Creek.

Let’s look at the options.

Right from the fish hatchery, you have the option to skip the first section of Eagle Creek entirely. The Ruckle Creek trailhead is just a half-mile up the Old Columbia River Highway, now converted to a paved bike path on that particular section. Ruckle Creek Trail (405) will take you a little over five grueling miles to the top of Benson Plateau. From there, you have access to the Pacific Crest Trail, or you can make your way down to the Eagle Creek Trail via the Eagle-Benson Trail (434). Ruckle Creek Trail rewards your hard work with awesome views of the Columbia River and Cascade Locks from an elevation of about 2000 feet.

Another, non-official, non maintained trail (more of a scramble) is the Ruckle Ridge route, which offers sweeping views even more impressive than those offered by the Ruckle Creek Trail. I do not recommend this route, however, unless you’re experienced, possess route-finding skills, and are willing to take risks. This is not a bad weather route. Do not do it in wet weather!

I mentioned the Eagle-Benson Trail, which connects the Pacific Crest Trail on the Benson Plateau with the Eagle Creek Trail. The Eagle-Benson Trail had fallen into disrepair until this summer, when the Mazamas got a volunteer group together to repair it. It is still a rough-and-tumble trail, but thanks to the vounteers, it’s well marked at easy to follow. If you’re crazy and really in shape, you can hike it from Eagle Creek to the Benson Plateau. Be aware that it gains 3000 feet in its scant 3 miles. The rewards are great, however: sweeping views up and down Eagle Creek Canyon from a bird’s eye view. The trail starts a little past the five-mile mark on the Eagle Creek Trail, just past the wilderness boundary. It is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.

If you continue past Tunnel Falls on the Eagle Creek Trail, you’ll soon be faced with some choices. Shortly after 7 1/2 Mile Campground, the trail will jog hard back to the north, then continue eastward to Wahtum Lake. At the point of this jog, trail 433 splits off heading westward.

From this point, you can plan your trip based on whether you’ll be heading east, west, south (out of the Gorge and toward Mount Hood) or back north in a loop. Let’s look at the different directions you can go, one at a time.

East
If you’re heading east, continue on the Eagle Creek Trail past the jog, on up to Wahtum lake, which boasts a cozy campground where you can make a stop. Don’t forget Chinidere Mountain, which is a short sidetrip and well worth it. From the Wahtum Lake area, you can head northeast toward the amusingly named Rainy Lake, and from there, it’s a relatively easy hike to Mount Defiance (compared with hiking there from Starvation Creek!), which offers a commanding view of the area from its height of 4,960. From here you can hike down to Starvation Creek, I-84, and the end of your hike.

West
Theoretically, you could hike from Eagle Creek to Multnomah Falls, though I have never attempted this. When you reach the point where Eagle Creek Trail jogs to the north, a little past 7 1/2 Mile Campground, you can take trail 433, which takes you west to Tanner Butte, which is a destination in itself. From there, you can continue north to Dublin Lake. From here there is a trail (448) that continues west and connects to other trails heading west. You should have good route finding skills and a sense of adventure for an option like this. Otherwise, continue north to Bonneville Dam.

South
One of the most adventurous and rewarding options is to connect to the Pacific Crest Trail and continue to Timberline Lodge. This option may not be workable this year because of the Gnarl Ridge Fire, which forced the closure of many roads and trails north of Mount Hood. But put it on your list for next year! Again, Wahtum Lake would make a good layover for this hike.

North
There are an abundance of North/South Trails in the Gorge. Actually, the East/West options I’ve described eventually head back north to the Columbia Rive anyway. There’s Ruckle Creek, the Pacific Crest Trail, Herman Creek, Eaton Ridge, Tanner Butte… the area is full of possibilities for an adventurous loop hike. Be creative, but stay prudent and safe!

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