Tanner Creek Hike
From Portland Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Tooth Rock Trailhead
- End point: Tanner Creek Campsite
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: Out and Back
- Distance: 12.2 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 1400 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Mar-Nov
- Family Friendly: Too long
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
Many people hike Tanner Creek, but few take this path. That's because Tanner Creek is the creek that flows over Wahclella Falls. In fact, the USGS still refers to Wahclella Falls as Tanner Creek Falls. Much of this hike is on closed Tanner Creek Road #777, but ironically some of prettiest portions of the hike are on the road.
This hike starts in the Tooth Rock Trailhead. Start by walking back up the access road to closed Tanner Creek Road #777. Walk up the road for 4.5 miles. In a mile, you'll pass a trailhead for Tanner Butte Trail #401. Stay on the road until you reach the its end. Here, you'll find a trailhead for Tanner Creek Trail #431. The trail heads farther up the creek valley. 0.3 miles from this inland trailhead you'll find a wilderness boundary, and just a bit farther, you'll come to a junction with the Tanner Cutoff Trail #448. Continue southward on the Tanner Creek Trail, passed a junction with Moffett Creek Trail #430. You're near the end now, as Trail #431 soon ends in a large grove of trees near a spring at the Tanner Creek Campsite. If you're day hiking, it's time to get started back, but if you're backpacking you can set up camp and relax for a while.
Note: Tooth Rock Trailhead creates the easiest and shortest version of this hike. On the other hand, Tooth Rock Trailhead has a higher incidence of car prowling than other nearby trailheads. You can access this hike from the Wahclella Falls Trailhead by hiking about 1.5 mile of Trail 400 from there to Mile 1.1 on Road 777. Alternatively, you can start at Eagle Creek Trailhead and hike west on Trail 400 for about 1.2 miles to Mile 0.7 on Road 777. Either of these alternatives will add about a mile to your round trip distance. There's a third alternative from the first Eagle Creek parking lot where caretakers sit all summer. You can hike the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail west, which here is only the glorified shoulder of I-84. Go up the Eagle Creek Staircase. At the top, right next to the stop sign, is a hidden junction with the old Portage Road. Hike up the Portage Road to its crest, where you'll find a short use path heading up the hill. This leads about 100 yards to Road 777 at mile 0.7.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Fees, Regulations, etc. =
- Northwest Forest Pass required at trailhead
Trip Reports
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Related Discussions / Q&A
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Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Hiking the Columbia River Gorge - 1st and 2nd Editions, by Russ Schneider
More Links
- See more information at Describe the link here
Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)