Angel's Rest - great views of the Columbia River Gorge скачать в хорошем качестве

Angel's Rest - great views of the Columbia River Gorge

Angel’s Rest is a popular trail. It is off exit 28 on Highway 84, so it is close too. This is a 4.6 mile hike round trip with a 1500 foot elevation gain. It is a nice training hike with fantastic views of the Columbia River Gorge on the way up and at the top. The only drawback might be the road noise on this hike. I tune it out, but it is constant until you get to the back side of the mountain. About a mile in you come across the small Coopey Falls and Coopey Creek. They are replacing the small wooden bridge that get you over the creek. Although the falls is technically 150 feet high only a small part, 20 feet maybe, is viewable. Even taking the short side trail does little improve the view. After a few switchbacks the top comes into view. The hike is uphill almost the entire way with several sets of switchbacks each with views of the gorge and the peak. There is a switchback set that fakes out out as you start around the back but it is a short and you return to the gorge side of the mountain. Once you finally curve around the back side, the road noise diminishes and you come to the rock pile. This is a false top, but has excellent views up the gorge to the west. A long switchback out and back and you are at the top. Now the “top” is a misnomer. It is a long top. You continue walking at least a quarter mile to the edge looking west. There is a rock scramble, but it should not dissuade anyone from crossing the top. A second rock pile with fantastic views both ways in the gorge. Just a short way west (left) and you have a full western view from the Angel’s Rest Viewpoint. You can continue across the top eastward 2.6 miles the reach the Wahkeena Trail junction. That would add 5 miles onto the hike with that crossing and the hike back on the highway to the parking lot. We hiked back down the same trail we came up. The views of the gorge were still spectacular.