![]() The sign for the trailhead is on the road between the two parking lots. There’s a second parking lot just up the hill, on your left, along with some parking on the road. Go right off the exit, and you’ll find a parking lot at the intersection with the Historic Columbia River Highway. To get to the Angel’s Rest Trailhead, take I-84 east of Portland to Exit 28: Bridal Veil. It’s going to be quite windy and chilly at the top, so keep those layers handy. The trail gets icy in spots during the winter, and from what I could tell, a pretty muddy mess after a rain. I thought a cold, freakishly windy day would give us the place to ourselves, but Oregonians are sure to get out when the sun is shining. It’s a popular trail, so expect lots of people. We’ll have to add that to the to-do list! We headed back down about an hour before sunset, and there were tons of people headed up to get the sunset views. From what I’ve read, it gets pretty darn crowded on clear summer weekends, so a winter hike might be your best bet for avoiding the crowds. This is a hike made for clear days, so save it for great conditions. From there, it’s a short distance to the open summit, where you’ll get your ridiculous views. This trail is extremely popular as its one of the closest hikes to the Portland metro. The trail starts in the woods, wanders past Coopey Falls and Upper Coopey Falls, crosses a bridge, and then travels up some switchbacks into a field of rocks. This is a medium difficulty out and back trail to Angels Rest in Oregon. To get views like this, we generally have to hike for hours or climb a mountain, but this was a 2.4-mile (4.8, roundtrip) gradual climb up to open views of the Columbia River Gorge. We’ll call this a “little hike, big reward” adventure. Two, the hike is relatively short and easy. One, it’s only 30-ish minutes away from downtown Portland. This hike is a must-do for so many reasons. I have a long list of places I want to visit in this new year, so to kick us off, we’re crossing Angel’s Rest off the list. I’ve been reading books (4 1/2 down, 2 1/2 to go), finally jumping on that Serial bandwagon (and pretending that my years of watching crime-solving comedies have prepared me in any way for having a valid opinion on such matters), and shamelessly watching this Bruno Mars video on repeat.īut now that our tiny Christmas tree is gone (though the runaway pine needles may haunt me forever), we’re transitioning back into normal life and doing things like cooking, cleaning, wearing real pants, etc. The parking lot for the trailhead is immediately on the right.If things have seemed a little quiet on the blog for the past few weeks, it’s because we’ve been relaxing, taking that 2-week Christmas vacay that was instilled in us through 17 years of schooling (I’ll never stop wanting it). Follow Bridal Veil road until a stop sign where you will turn right onto the Historic Columbia River Hwy. The hike is just a 30 minute drive east on the I-84. 2016, after a 40-foot fall off the trail. There is no day pass or parking payment required. Angeles Rest A view west from the top of Angel's Rest trail with downtown Portland off in the distance. If you want a less crowded journey to the top, I would suggest going early on a weekday. A view of Rooster Rock State Park and Sand Island near the top of the hike. Even on a crowded Sunday, I felt there was enough space on top that I could zone out and appreciate the view of the Gorge without feeling cramped or in anyone’s way. The top of Angel’s rest is a wide open space with plenty of flat rocky sitting areas. A friend in a moment of mild frustration with the mud and crowds Slippery, muddy stretches are broken up by rocky stretches like in the photo above and many hikers I saw on the trail braved puddles and mud with waterproof boots and hiking poles. Angels Rest Trailhead: Angels Rest Hike: Moderate 4.8 1475 Outstanding rocky promontory with expansive views of the Columbia Gorge Angels Rest-Devils Rest Loop Hike: Moderate 10.8 3040 A forested loop from Angels Rest to Devils Rest via Wahkeena Spring Cape Horn Area. I went on a rainy Sunday and found this hike to be surprisingly crowded. If you are equipped with only a pair of rugged tennis shoes as I was, I would suggest going on a cold, dry day rather than a rainy day to avoid the mud. The scars from the eagle creek fire remain, but this hike still boasts a beautiful view of the gorge for much of the hike. ![]() I tried out Angel’s rest.Īngel’s Rest was one of the many previously closed Columbia River Gorge hikes that reopened at the end of November. I also wanted a place that was easy to find, and safely accessible for PSU students in the case of snow. ![]() ![]() For my second winter hike I wanted to make a day trip out of it and get out of the city. ![]()
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