Starvation Ridge Hike
From Portland Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Starvation Creek Trailhead
- End point:Warren Lake
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type:Out and Back
- Distance: 6.4 miles
- Elevation gain: 3800 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: May-Oct
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The Starvation Ridge hike is one of the steepest climbs around — it climbs almost 3,800 feet in less than three miles. To make matters even more interesting, the climbing isn't consistent. The trail builders seemed determined to stay directly on top of the ridge, creating pleasant, level ridge-top sections and knee-breaking climbs where the ridge gets steeper.
Start at the Starvation Creek Trailhead and head along the freeway on the Mount Defiance Trail for about 0.2 miles. Turn left and ascend the steep and rocky Starvation Cutoff Trail. 0.4 miles up this little nightmare, you'll come to a 'T' with the Starvation Ridge Trail. Turn left here and you'll soon come to a great view of the Columbia River Gorge. From here, the trail switchbacks up past other great Gorge viewpoints for about a mile. After a while the switchbacks run out and the trail steepens. It goes up and level, up and level, gaining a lot of elevation.
After about three miles, you'll come to a 'T' trail junction. Some maps call this new trail the "Mitchell Point Trail" and some the "Warren Lake Trail", in either case, it's numbered 417 and unsigned. Turn right here and descend about 100 feet in 0.3 miles to Warren Lake.
From Warren Lake, you can continue on the Warren Lake Trail to the Mount Defiance Trail, creating a loop or you can return the way you came.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- None
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Guidebooks that cover this hike
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Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)