Hike of the Week: Oneonta Gorge
 |
| This hike gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "falling behind" |
Oneonta Gorge
Go with the flow on this hike
by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin
March 17, 2006
Quick Facts
Location: Columbia Gorge, Oregon Cascades
Land Agency: Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, NFS
Roundtrip: 4.5 miles
Elevation gain: 550 feet
Access: Take I-84 east out of Portland to exit 35. Follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west for 1.5 miles to the parking lot at Horsetail Falls. Just to the left of these beautiful falls the trail begins.
Green Trails Map: Bridal Veil, OR- No. 428
Special Note: NW Forest Pass Required
The mighty Columbia River bisects the Cascade Mountains just east of Portland, Oregon through a chasm known as the Columbia Gorge. At this locale, wet pacific storms try to squeeze through the mountains only to be blocked passage by cold interior air. The result is rain by the bucket loads. Rain, rain, rain! The abundant runoff eventually manifests in waterfalls and cascades. Nowhere else in the Pacific Northwest are there so many cataracts, than in the Columbia Gorge.
There are hundreds of them in the Gorge, and in winter they overflow with storm waters. The Gorge blusters with aquatic activity, from droplets dangling from moss-draped maples to thundering rapids plowing through narrow canyons. The Columbia Gorge is a true water world calling out to be hiked. Unfortunately this recreational paradise is in metropolitan Portland's backyard. It can be quite crowded. Avoiding the masses however, isn’t too difficult, if you’re willing to put up with one small inconvenience-getting wet!
Heading out into the Gorge during a good rainstorm almost always guarantees lots of room to roam without bumping into other hikers. A good jacket, boot liners and a positive attitude is all that is required. One of the finest places for an introductory hike in the Gorge is the Oneonta Canyon Trail. In an area as spectacular as the Columbia Gorge, what makes Oneonta Canyon so special? Oneonta is a narrow cleft only 20 feet wide and several times as deep. The walls of the canyon are encrusted in moss and glistening with moisture. The canyon can only be seen from a few spots along the trail, but if you’re adventurous there is another option.
When the water level of the canyon is low, you may don good waterproof boots and hike up it for a half mile or so. If you lack any sense of claustrophobia then this option is for you-the closest thing in the Northwest to hiking the slot canyons of Utah.
Oneonta Canyon is indeed a highlight to this trail, but the hike to Ponytail Falls is just as stunning. Over the centuries the soft soils underneath the lip of the falls have eroded away leaving a cavern behind it. The trail enters it, weaving its way behind the falls.
Beyond Ponytail Falls, the trail continues to a bluff overlooking the Columbia River, before dropping back down to Oneonta Creek. An option from this point is to continue up the Oneonta Creek trail for just under a mile to Triple Falls. As the name implies, water fans out into three separate falls. Beyond Triple Falls, the trail continues upward and farther into the wilderness of the Columbia Gorge. You can continue hiking farther, or head back down the Oneonta Creek trail for a nice 5 mile loop. Whatever you choose; the forests, falls, canyons and chasms will keep you in awe on this hike. The weather is pretty wet right now. I can't think of a better time to explore Oneonta.
