Hamilton Mountain is located on the Washington side of the Gorge in Beacon Rock State Park (45 minutes east of Portland). The 7.5-mile loop is a moderate trek with a gain of 2,100'. The popular trail is a feast for hikers, offering waterfalls, craggy cliffs, deep forests, and superb vistas.
I set off from the trailhead at 8:45am on Wednesday--second car in the lot. The Hamilton Mountain Trail begins with a moderate climb through Douglas firs. A mile in leads to a waterfall area. There is only one creek, but three named waterfalls: Hardy Falls, Pool of the Winds, and Rodney Falls.
The trail continues across a footbridge and switchbacks uphill to a junction with the Hardy Creek Trail. This time of year, the area is filled with yellow maples beneath green firs.
At the junction, I followed the "more difficult" route to the right. The trail switches back steeply beneath the first of Hamilton's many cliff faces. Views from the ridge span across the Columbia River, but a morning "marine layer" of fog developed over the river, obscuring most of the surroundings. Although I prefer to hike in the morning, there are certainly benefits from getting a later start, especially this time of year.
The trail climbs for another mile until a junction at the summit ridgecrest. The path to the right ends at Hamilton Mountain's summit (2,488').
The vista is somewhat hidden by brush, but following the ridgecrest downhill continues to a saddle with better views of Mts. Hood, Adams, and St. Helens, as well as Table Mountain and the Bonneville Dam.
The counter-clockwise loop gradually descends via the Equestrian Trail.
A left at the next trail junction leads through a cool alder forest.
After a mile, the path intersects the main trail at the Hamilton Mountain-Hardy Creek Trail Junction. I returned to the trailhead at 12:45pm (4 hours RT). Despite the strange weather, it was still a great hike!
Before returning to town, I checked out another short hike in the area. Beacon Rock is one of the most prominent and distinctive geological features in the Gorge. Originally named by Lewis and Clark, the 848' landmark was once the core of a volcano; what remains is what was not washed away by ice-age flooding. It is one of the tallest monoliths (singular piece of rock) in North America.
The Beacon Rock Trail is one of the oldest trails in the area. An easy, mile-long series of switchbacks gains 680' to the summit (1.8 miles RT).
Most of the trail ascends along the open, west side of the rock, providing views down the river of Angel's Rest and Cape Horn.
The opposite side showcases Hamilton Mountain and the river toward Bonneville Dam.
The morning fog gave way to a beautiful afternoon on Beacon Rock.
