By John Sparks, Volunteer, Trailkeepers of Oregon

Distance: 1.5 miles / Elevation gain: 190 feet

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By John Sparks, Board Member, Trailkeepers of Oregon

In Japan, an entire tourist industry is based on kōyōgari, or momijigari, “fall leaves sightseeing” (the two words are different pronunciations of the same characters). People flock to the countryside and temple complexes to appreciate the turning of the colors. Likewise, the northeastern states of the US experience a significant influx of visitors from late September into October for the same purpose. 

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By John Sparks, Board Member, Trailkeepers of Oregon

The 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act added to existing wilderness areas in the Mount Hood National Forest, and also created three new wildernesses in that forest: the five-part Clackamas Wilderness, the Lower White River Wilderness (shared with the Bureau of Land Management), and the Roaring River Wilderness, encompassing slopes north and south of the Roaring River and including that pristine stream in its entirety. The southern boundary of this wilderness includes a rugged basalt rim that is little visited but offers wide-ranging views into the Clackamas drainage as well as up and down the Cascades. The Rimrock Trail, which appears in only a couple of hiking guidebooks, takes you to two compelling destinations here, one on the rim itself and the other in a glacial cirque below. Wildflower lovers will also like this hike in mid-summer, when you’ll find forest and meadow plants at the height of the bloom.

View west along the rimrock from the Mount Mitchell Viewpoint. (Photo by John Sparks)

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By Cheryl Hill, Board Member, Trailkeepers of Oregon

If you find yourself visiting the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and you want a longer hike than those short trails provide, Sutton Mountain may be for you. This seven and one-half mile out-and-back hike gains sixteen hundred feet in elevation and includes wildflowers, views, and solitude.

Hedgehog cactus blooming on the summit of Sutton Mountain. (Photo by Cheryl Hill)

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By Cheryl Hill, Board Member, Trailkeepers of Oregon

When winter snow has buried your favorite trails at high elevations, the Riverside National Recreation Trail #723 along the Clackamas River offers a great alternative. At 1,500 feet elevation, the trail is accessible during most of the winter except when the snow level has dropped very low. With a rushing river, creek crossings, towering trees, and a mossy forest, this hike will whet your appetite during the wet days of winter, but not overly tax you. The four-mile-long trail follows the river between Rainbow and Riverside campgrounds, but the Riverside Trailhead around the midway point is a good starting point for this hike.

View of the Clackamas River from the Riverside Trail. Photo by Cheryl Hill.

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