I've been wasting some time doing a little maintenance and sorting and tagging on the blog, and I just found this old post that's been sitting around as a draft since 2012.
I have no idea what I was planning on doing with it, but I went ahead and added a few photos and hit "Publish."
"I was very surprised to meet a total of 13 hikers coming up the trail. Only two groups had overnight gear. That is an awfully long day hike. Nice to see so many hikers putting in a lot of effort. The last 5 3/4 miles was very fast. I passed dozens of hikers going in and coming out."
Acoustics can be strange, and the landscape, when seen from different angles, deceptive. Points reached by different routes can be confusing…
Lindsey Creek has two waterfalls for sure, Harrison Falls, actually visible from I-84 when the leaves are down in the winter, if you know where to look, and Lindsey Creek Falls.
But I am not entirely sure that these are the only two.
The lower waterfall is sometimes called Lower Lindsey Creek Fall, but more and more it’s old name is returning to use, Harrison Falls.
... This waterfall [Lindsey Creek Falls] was called Harrison Falls early in the 20th century. After the original Columbia River Scenic Highway was built, a number of auto camps were built along the new road. The one that operated at Lindsey Creek was known as Harrison's Auto Camp. No trace of it remains.
... Early postcards have this waterfall captioned as "Harrison Falls", or "Harrison Falls near Harrison Auto Camp, Columbia River Highway". I suspect this is simply a historic unofficial naming. ...Harrison Falls is the Historical name of this waterfall. Known Alternate Names: Lower Lindsey Creek Falls.
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Photo Archive Catalog Num: 1999.13.94P Condition: Good Date: Location: The Dalles, Oregon Title: Content: No. 52. Harrison's Auto Camp, Columbia River Highway Other Notes: description from above on front.no correspondence Photographer: B.C. Markham, The Dalles, Oregon Copyright: http://www.gorgediscovery.org/photoarchive/newDetails.asp?offset=970&ID=2695
Today, nothing remains of the scene pictured above. Decades of flooding have wiped out not only the site of this camp but also the picnic area that was near Lindsey Creek until the 1960s.
There is a sort of trail to the falls leading up the east bank of the creek, though it may require getting wet here and there (in November, at least, when I was there last). Good views can also be found on the slopes above the west bank, at least when the leaves are down. This is where I shot my photo of these falls from.
Still, looking at the map above, it seems like Harrison Falls may be marked a little too far upstream. Standing on the west side of the ravine above, though, under the powerlines, one can hear Harrison Falls towards the freeway, but it sounds like there is another large waterfall upstream from it to the south, best heard from the south edge of the powerline clearing.
Above a waterfall? Sure sounds like it, but it is tricky and dangerous getting much closer than this. Upstream from Harrison Falls so I think this is a different one. There is a third further to the south, but I suspect this is the big one on Lindsey Creek, it's quite a drop between the valley on the right and the ravine on the left. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. November 1, 2013.
Not quite sure what is down there, and at first I thought it was the waterfall Scott Cook calls Lindsey Creek Falls in his book Pokin’ Round The Gorge, but reading the directions to that waterfall a little more closely, and then tracing them out on Google Earth, this is starting to sound more like the one marked on the map above and one I’ve glimpsed from the Lindsey Creek Road, which is marked in blue on the map below.
Follow the double track to the last tower, cut left around it then swing to the right, under the lines and over the sticks into the forest. Pick your way on the old roadbed for a minute until you see a rough trail climbing down to the left. Follow this down then angle upstream and bushwhack over to the creek … and take note of where you are so you can find it on the way back! Now you begin to splash, bob, weave and hop for 8-9 minutes to the falls.
Scott Cook. Pokin’ Round the Gorge. Hood River, OR: Scott Cook. 2008. 81.
Roughly recreating his directions in Google Earth leads to a map that looks like this, though in November 2013, few traces of the roads Cook describes were visible. The route below is speculative, so please use caution if attempting to follow it, and it is based on a combination of Cook’s directions and my own experience in the area.
His photo of the falls themselves graces the cover of the book. There are more inside, but due to the nature of that book, and this site, this is the only one I’m comfortable posting!
So, is there a hidden “Middle” Lindsey Creek Falls? There could be. Cook’s directions to the upper falls seems to bypass the area where the sound of a waterfall is coming from. Also, zooming in a bit on Google Earth, there sure seems to be at least one waterfall down there that looks at least as large as Harrison Falls.
Click to enlarge…
One of these days I’ll pick my way down into that ravine and find out, unfortunately, the last time I was there I was by myself, it was getting late, and nobody really knew where I was if something went wrong, so I was playing it really safe and taking no risks. But I think this summer, tramping up and down the creek on a hot summer day may be a fun adventure!
I’ll update with what I find!
Update – Like 15 minutes later…
I need to remember to hit Google before I hit send…
A good thread (with great pictures) on Lindsey Creek. Probably not a big “middle” falls in there, just lots of whitewater essentially making the whole stretch one big falls. But there are more falls upstream from Lindsey Creek Falls.
So many cool places that I’ve never heard about… I was looking for an Oregon Field Guide clip on the Parkdale Lava Flow for a different post and I discovered this… And yes, I am posting the location of it, though I have not been there yet myself.
ASS COVERING DISCLAIMER: If you go, don’t be stupid! Don’t die! Don’t enter the ravine! Probably best not to go at all!
"A 200-foot-deep rift in the forest floor, deep enough to hold a 20-story building and create a subterranean climate at least 20 degrees cooler than summer temperatures above, has deliberately been kept out of tourist guidebooks. Its caretakers don't want people stumbling into it unprepared, or making the hour-long descent to its bottom only to be buried by one of the periodic showers of rocks and boulders from its crumbling basalt walls."
"6. Hell Hole This half-mile-long, 200-foot-deep gash in the forest floor is easily deep enough to hold the tallest building in Eugene. From the treacherous and frigid bottom of the Hell Hole, the sky appears as a tiny slit of light. The evil-looking geologic feature was created about 2 million years ago when lava flows oozed down a river valley over much weaker pyroclastic formations. Eventually, the lighter bottom layer collapsed, leaving the fissure. This area is extremely dangerous, so much so that the Hell Hole appears on no maps and the public is strongly discouraged from visiting. The Hell Hole is a bit of a legend, and some people don't believe it even exists. Maybe they're right."
Ass Covering Disclaimer: If you go, don’t be stupid! Don’t die! Don’t enter the ravine! Probably best not to go at all!
From 2003: ”Greebes and I have 2 words for anyone thinking about taking on the Hell Hole. DON'T GO! We left Corvallis at 6 AM. Made it up to area the Hell Hole is located in about 2 hours. Based on the what we saw on the road below the HH we decided to approach it from the north. There was logging going on to the west of the HH, not very far, you could hear the trees when they came down. We parked the truck at the closest point to the HH that we could find and set off through the brush. The brush is very thick. Salal, blackberry, and all kids of stuff so we had to weave our way through towards the HH. It was only 3/10ths of a mile. but it is very difficult to move in any sort of a straight line because of the brush. It took about 40 minutes to reach the edge. I set a waypoint there. We were standing on the edge, we couldn't see very far east or west and southern edge was not distinct. We moved to the east hoping to get a better view but it never improved. I set another waypoint here. We decided to go back to the truck and approach the HH from below as the was absolutely no way to come at it from above. We made our way back to the truck and moved down below the HH on the road. I used the GOTO function of my Garmin and set a course for the 2nd waypoint and we started up the hill. It was a very steep route. We had gone about 200 yards and had stopped to catch our breath when I noticed a deer above us about 50 feet away. Maybe it couldn't believe what it was seeing but it just stared at us. Then it turned and as it moved away it kicked loose a rock the size of a bowling ball. An omen? A warning? I don't know, but we should have taken it as one. We made it up into a boulder field, all covered with dry moss and leaves. We were now only a couple hundred feet from waypoint 2. It was obvious there was a depression running off to our left(west) as we faced the hillside but it was completely filled with brush. No way at all to get through. We tried hooking around to the right to get to the base of the wall to see if there was any sort of path or trail. Nothing there either. So we tried to go along the other side. We were able to move to the west for a couple hundred yards but were forced down the hillside by the brush and terrain so we couldn't see the edge anymore. It was at this point we decided to call off this expedition. Greebes had disturbed a hornets nest in the boulder field. I came way too close to injuring my leg when I stepped between two boulders and the solid ground turned out to be leaves and moss. Covered with cuts and scratches from the brush and under constant assault from horseflies we bailed off the hillside. We don't know if where we tried to enter was wrong or what. We are both disappointed with what we did see. We do know we won't go back. I will try and post some pictures in the next couple of days.” Croaker
“Me and Lef-t found hells hole today. I plugged in the cordinates that croaker sent me and got up to the 1926 road around noon. At this point I saw two vehicles parked there. there was about 12 people standing around wearing hardhats. At first I thought they were firefighters for the nearby forest fire. but after getting a better look I thought these must be Geocachers looking for hells hole too. We stopped and talked to them and indeed they were going to hells hole. But they weren't goecachers and wasn't even familiar with the geocaching. The Guy was a geogist from portland and was at hells hole 19 years ago with mike long. He was there today to show his family and friends hells hole. We teamed up with them. We first parked at the intersection of 636 and 637. They only had maps showing hells hole on it. I was the only one with a GPS. we searched for a couple hours around the area of croakers cordinates. No hell hole was found. We then drove back down the 1926 road about a 1/3 mile past croakers cordinates. we climbed up about 400 ft in elevation and hiked about 1/4 mile through more thick vegatation, climbed over huge downed trees and boulders. We finally got up to a cliff and followed a trail along the bottom of the cliff right into hells hole. We needed about 50ft of rope to get down the last part. After about 5 hours of searching for hells hole we were finally in Hells hole. … You can also see a video of hells hole on the PBS website in the American Field Guide. search for hell hole (no s in hell).” Grin'n'Bearit
“There are 2 other Oregon rifts that I can think of offhand. Crack-in-the-Ground has a virtual simply because it's designation doesn't allow a traditional. Beaver Creek Canyon http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=56053e1c-cf8a-494c-b0a7-82d26bf13ea6 has a traditional because it's designation (or lack thereof) allows for one. Aside from some elitists in the Forest Service wanting to protect people from an identical hole, what makes these two places any different than Hell Hole? Heck, Beaver Creek is a 200 foot deep rift with sheer walls, AND they've built neighborhoods on the rim!” mckee
“Just went back to Hell Hole today. The roads are open to Hell Hole. They still have roads closed as you get closer to where the fire was. But getting to Hell Hole is no problem. I found a much closer and easier way to the rift. It took only 3 minutes to walk from the car to the edge. There is a trail all the way there. Obviously there are many people that do know about it if there is a trail. There are also trails running back and forth along the edge with trails leading to several viewpoints. Getting to the edge is the easy part. However finding a way down is tough. After looking for awhile for the best way down I found a rope tied to a log. after careful inspection of the rope I saw it was still in good shape and used it to help me climb down a steep enbankment about 50ft. The well beaten in trail continued on to the bottom. I was able to do the last 50ft to the bottom without a rope this time. I walked the entire length of the deep end and climbed out the other side which is tougher. I went to where I had hid the cache and removed it to the delight of the protesters. I still think this place needs a cache but on the easy side. It is very easy to get to and most geocachers should have no problem getting to the edge for viewing.” Grin'n'Bearit
From 2007:
“Take hwy 58 towards westfir turn left onto hwy 19 towards huckleberry flats 15.4 miles, turn left onto forest service rd. 1926. Drive on 1926 2.5 miles and turn left onto forest service rd. 636. Follow 636 1.6 miles staying to the left at a wye in the road. At 1.6 miles exactly there will be a little turn out onto the left to park. There is a definite trail starting on the same side of the road as the little turn out. Due east about 1/10 mile up the trail. Sign on tree Hellhole. If you want to go down in it bring a 100ft piece of rope. Good luck.” bigjimmy111
“The hike to the north rim is easy enough, only about ¼ mile on a faint unmaintained trail which can be followed fairly easily. From there the trail fades away and the going gets much harder. We climbed, slid, scrambled, and tripped our way around the east end and down into the chasm. Lunch was at the viewpoint rock. On the way back we decided that the Hellhole is so named because you have to go through hell to see it.”
Took a quick stroll on Sunday with the big one, a friend of his, and the dog out to “Dog Beach” on the Sandy River. Nothing much to report. Very busy, many dogs, great weather. The river is very low right now and warm enough in the shallows for some wading and swimming.
One thing I might note is that it looks like they will be removing the old dam along the Thousand Acres Road, permanently re-routing the Sandy to its historic channel, turning Sundial Island back into an island, and eliminating foot access to that part of the park.
According to the Friends of the Sandy River Delta, while the comment period is still open on the dam removal, it looks like it is pretty much “a done deal.”
I plan on spending some time out there while I still can.
…flow will be restored to the historic main channel of the Sandy River at the delta to provide year-round access for fish to this channel while eliminating stranding potential by providing continuous flow. This will be done by removing a dam built in the 1930’s and excavating a pilot channel within the historic main channel. The Corps and the Portland Water Bureau will fund Dam removal. Upon project completion, Sandy River water will flow year round through the historic main channel and the present-day main channel.
To help funnel smelt up the Sandy River each spring, the Oregon Game Commission in 1938 finished a huge rock and wood dike to close off one of two river channels. The result was a single channel to the west of a large delta of low-lying land where the Sandy flows into the Columbia River.
And it appeared to work. Commercial and recreational fishing for smelt prospered for years.
But now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with help from the Portland Water Bureau, wants to remove the dike and reopen more than 1.4 miles of the old channel through the delta to restore habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead.
Photo from Oregon Live / U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers: “This photo from the 1930s shows the 750-foot-long dike that dammed off the east channel of the Sandy River near its mouth. The structure today is not readily recognizable, as it is covered in silt with rock laid on top. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing to remove the dike next summer.”
Historic Sandy River Channel and Dam (along 1000 Acres Road).
The dam removal is likely a done deal, despite public comments, and our deep desires to somehow preserve access to the island. We do expect to hear from the Army Corp regarding the public comments they received and their final plans by the end of the year, but the feedback we've received so far from the Forest Service, is that the plans are likely to move ahead. Needless to say, we still are advocating for some means of continued access.
This hike explores a piece of 1400 acres that the state calls a "dispersed recreation site", north of Interstate 84 and east of the Sandy River. There aren't any official trails here, but the place abounds with old roads and footpaths. This hike is a perfect getaway for those without a lot of time. It's also a great place to exercise your canine buddies. On my last trip there were more dogs than people!
Within quick driving distance of Troutdale, Gresham and Portland, this is a recreation paradise. Great views, extensive trail system, bird blind and easy mountain biking make this site a quick retreat from the city. Also known as Thousand Acres. The Sandy River Delta is a multi-use recreation area open to a variety of recreation uses including equestrian use, hiking, biking, and hunting in the allowable area.
Not that I have returned there, just that I didn’t write much in the first place and this walk (not so much a hike) has become something of a benchmark… Though not, necessarily, in a good way.
First, let me say, the fact that this park exists is awesome. We need these sorts of green spaces and too many of our buttes are covered with houses, not trees or meadows.
Let me also say, this butte and its trails must be awesome for those who live near by. We hit our stretch of the Springwater Trail at least once a week, most weeks. Dog walks, transportation, just getting outside… We have several such places within walking distance or a quick drive, including Powell Butte. If Talbert was this close, I am sure I would spend a lot of time on it.
However, as a destination… Well, I am pretty spoiled living right down the road from Powell Butte, which is, quite simply, spectacular.
Since taking this hike a little over a year ago, Mt. Talbert has become the standard of dull, viewless walks through humdrum second or even third growth woods. As I am putting together some new posts on some other hikes, walks, and parks this fall, I realized that, before I start referencing Talbert, perhaps I should revise this old post to reflect what I am writing about these days.
So, in June 2011 my son and I made a quick loop over the Summit Trail from the Mather Road Entrance. It was pleasant and close to home. Being the middle of the summer, there were no views, though some may be visible through the trees in the winter.
Actually, I remember thinking that this would be a much better winter hike than a summer hike, not only because of the faint possibility of a view or two, but mostly because it is close enough to home that I could sneak a decent little walk in before the early sunset shuts my preferred trails down and it, obviously, will not be buried under feet of snow 99.99999% of the winter.
In the summer, this is about the best I can say for it… It was fun as a little hill climbing workout but, by June, I was in decent enough shape that I was barely winded by the time we reached the 750 foot summit, though for my son it was pretty tiring (see the photos in the original post below). I tend to have a collecting streak in me, so getting to the top was worth an afternoon and exploring a new park was fun. As I told my son, at the very least, it was worth it so we can say, “Been to the top of that one.”
But, bottom line… All things considered, I’d rather be on Powell Butte. There is nothing terrible about the walk up Talbert. Just nothing terribly exciting, either. Perhaps I am spoiled.
I grew up spending my winter afternoons and summer days wandering through second growth woods just like these up near Seattle. At least the woods of my youth were filled with little hidden lakes and other secret spots of interest (interesting, at least, to a pre-teen boy). There may be some great secret spots on Talbert, but we didn’t find them on the first trip and my interests have, alas, probably grown more jaded over the years.
One of the problems (what a problem!) of living in the northwest is that we are very spoiled. It takes me about ten minutes longer to drive to the Gorge than it does for me to drive to Talbert. And far less time to drive to Powell Butte.
But, I will say this to wrap up… The meadows on Powell are spectacular, but they aren’t natural. They are an artificial environment. Rocky Butte and Mt. Tabor? They are not wild places, ur… Well, they ain’t wild in the environmental sense. At least we have one butte in the area that is relatively untouched, at least for the last 100 years or so, and that will remain undeveloped for the future.
On Talbert, we are not talking about a pocket of a park surrounded by a desert of housing developments, or graded meadows and abandoned orchards, we are talking about an entire butte slowly reverting to its natural state, as it was for ages before this area was developed. And that is very cool. While it might not make for the most interesting of walks or hikes, the Park itself is a real treasure.
Especially considering how Powell Butte is currently being torn up by the water bureau and how most of Jenne Butte’s summit looks doomed to development as soon as the housing crisis resolves itself, having an entire butte that will remain untouched forever (hopefully) is a real win for Metro and for all of us who appreciate such things..
So forgive me if I am a little hard on the place, I really do appreciate Mount Talbert. I am glad it is there and I am sure that I will spend some more time on it this winter. But, for the most part, it is like a museum piece. It comforts me to know that it is there, safe and preserved, but if I am looking for fun times and exciting adventures, I’ll probably head elsewhere…
A Cave?
Just one final note… Glancing through the comments on one of the articles below, I discovered that there may be a cave on Talbert. Now that is a secret cool spot that I am not too jaded to get excited about.
According to the Development Master Plan from 2000:
Long time neighbors of Mt. Talbert have described a natural cave located in the northwest quadrant of the study area. This natural feature is currently on private property and has not been explored by NCPRD staff or the consultant team. It has been described as a small cavern (inundated with poison oak) no more than 100 feet long with limited headroom. Caves are often associated with early Native American shelters and have been found to have archeological significance. This cave may also be used by bats. If this feature is to become part of the publicly owned park, a thorough analysis and record will be required. Until a comprehensive study is completed, any disturbance to this area should be avoided. (39)
A large chunk of land in the northwest quadrant was added to the park after the report was written. However, I am not sure if this is where the cave was rumored to be or not. Also, I have not been able to find any other references to this cave, so perhaps, it was just a rumor… Or is it waiting to be rediscovered?
I wrote recently that, wandering through the lava flows and buttes in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, I couldn’t help but to get the feeling that the landscape looked a lot like what my neighborhood might have looked like at one point in the distant past. Towards the end of the Lava Cast Forest trail, I found myself looking across a small valley that reminded me of home, with a small butte across from me that looked remarkably like Grant Butte in Gresham, surrounded not by flat wetlands, but by a flat, geologically recent lava flow.
Out on that lava flow, I started wondering what hidden volcanic features we might have in our area, including lava tubes. While any evidence of lava is long buried around here, our volcanoes preceding the Missoula floods by a fair bit, it still doesn’t mean that there might not be some lava tubes buried deep down beneath our feet.
This is an ancient tube and no surviving caves have been discovered. The tube was discovered during the construction of the hospital, and it was filled with rubble. Further research turned up five collapse depressions and no access to any possible surviving caves.
Still, if there is one, might not there be another around here some place? I actually have my suspicions about some curious depressions I’ve seen on my end of town, but further research is required… Again, this would be an old, collapsed tube like the Catlin Gabel tube, but it would be cool, nevertheless. It’s something I plan on looking into more this winter.
Of course, the cave described here might not be a lava tube. Heck, it might not even exist at all, or any more...
Mount Talbert is an volcanic cinder cone in Clackamas County, Oregon. It is part of the Boring Lava Field,[3] a zone of ancient volcanic activity in the area around Portland. Its summit rises to an elevation of 740+ feet (226+ m).
The butte remains undeveloped and is the location of a nature park of the same name which is managed by North Clackamas Parks and Recreation. The park has several interlinked hiking trails, along which there are several interpretive signs about the area's natural resources.
The largest undeveloped butte in Northern Clackamas County, Mount Talbert rises as a forested green sentinel overlooking the web of development that surrounds it and the busy I-205 and Sunnyside Road interchange.
Stretching from Portland’s Rocky Butte southward to the Clackamas River, a group of extinct volcanoes and lava domes lend unique geographic character to the region’s east side, providing important wildlife habitat and panoramic vistas. Mount Talbert is the largest of these undeveloped buttes in northern Clackamas County.
The nature park includes the top of the former lava dome as well as the west facing slopes visible to the tens of thousands of people that travel I-205 every day or shop at the Clackamas Town Center. The park offers miles of new hiking trails, information about the cultural and natural resources found there and greater access to nature close to home.
This area was logged in the early years of the 20th century, but has been relatively unspoiled since then. The forest has matured into an open stand of Douglas-firs. The understory is dominated by sword ferns and trilliums are common in the spring.
The Park Loop Trail once circled the mountain, but somehow part of it was built on private land and it's been closed.
… you'll enter an area of oak forest. Crews have recently logged the fir trees in this area to create a oak forest ecosystem. Things are still pretty chaotic looking, but hopefully nature will soon heal the landscape. Look for Oaks Toothwort and Stream Violets here. In the evening a small herd of tiny blacktail deer can often be found grazing here.
An interesting and worthwhile ecological experiment is underway at the park involving the native Oregon white oak woodlands. This sun loving tree casts a very light shade beneficial to other plants. Douglas-fir seedlings are able to thrive in oak woodlands, but the fir grow 3 to 4 times higher than the oaks, and cast shade too deep for the oaks to tolerate. So in the natural forest succession the oaks will die out. It is thought that the Native American population in this area used fire to improve hunting and for other purposes, which kept the firs from growing, while the thick-barked oaks survived.
The experiment is to favor the oaks artificially by eliminating the competing firs, maples and shrubbery. About 19 acres of oak woodland has been treated in this way, out of 183 acres of parkland here. Firs and other trees in the selected areas have been girdled, topped or cut down, while allowed to continue thriving in the large areas with few or no oaks. This should result in a much more diverse ecology in the park and show us how different the tree cover types will be in terms of understory.
I'm curious to know if anyone knows where the cave is: "Longtime neighbors of Mt. Talbert have described a natural cave located in the northwest quadrant...It has been described as a small cavern (inundated with poison oak) no more that 100 feet long with limited headroom."
Judging from the volcanic nature of Mount Talbert, and the description, this is likely to be a lava tube cave. These occur when a flow partially cools but the still-liquid inner portions manage to break out, leaving the hardened outer portion behind to form the walls of the cave. Another one exists in the West Hills of Beaverton and Portland, extending from Providence Hospital a good ways uphill. It was actually broken into during construction of the hospital. Evidently no opening exists but a talus slope known to only a few people 'breathes' with air from underground. [See: More fun with Boring Lava & the Catlin Gabel Lava Tube System in West Portland]
…
I do not know the exact location of this privately-owned cave on Mount Talbert. The northwest side includes some very steep terrain.
Mt. Talbert has been subject to the impacts of natural resource harvest. Historic aerial photos dating from 1936 indicate that different sections of Mt Talbert have been clear-cut for timber over subsequent years into the 1950’s. [sic] Nearly every face of Mt. Talbert has been cleared at one time or another. Over time, the resulting second growth forest has reclaimed the dome with a diversity of native plant species. Remarkably, there is very little evidence of exotic or invasive species taking root here. (25)
Cave Long time neighbors of Mt. Talbert have described a natural cave located in the northwest quadrant of the study area. This natural feature is currently on private property and has not been explored by NCPRD staff or the consultant team. It has been described as a small cavern (inundated with poison oak) no more than 100 feet long with limited headroom. Caves are often associated with early Native American shelters and have been found to have archeological significance. This cave may also be used by bats. If this feature is to become part of the publicly owned park, a thorough analysis and record will be required. Until a comprehensive study is completed, any disturbance to this area should be avoided. (39)
This short loop to the top of this extinct lava dome in Clackamas County is perfect for the whole family. The trail winds through beautiful forest and is filled with interpretive signs about the environment you are walking through and the flora and fauna you may see along the way.
Found this spot while playing around with Google Earth and decided to drive up and check it out. This is a very nice spot, with decent views and nice meadows to wander through. There is at least one trail wandering through the parks woodsy “Natural Area,” but I didn’t have time to check it out today. I guess that forces me to plan a return trip. Shucks.
This post is, what Wikipedia would call, a stub. I’ll expand it later.
Clatsop Butte is an upland butte lying directly south of Powell Butte in southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Clatsop Butte City Park, which occupies part of the butte, is at coordinates 45.47456°N 122.50676°WCoordinates: 45.47456°N 122.50676°W at an elevation of 571 feet (174 m).[1] Johnson Creek, Southeast Foster Road, and the Springwater Corridor Trail pass between Powell Butte and Clatsop Butte near Southeast 152nd Avenue.[2]
The City of Portland acquired about 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land on the butte for a park and natural area in 2000.[3] Other land acquisitions increased the park's size to 102 acres (0.41 km2) by 2007 but led to controversy about public expenditures. A 16-member oversight committee was to review the purchases in 2008 to decide whether the money had been wisely spent.[4] As of 2008, Metro the regional government in the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area, included 49 acres (20 ha) of the acreage on its list of protected natural areas.
The natural area, comprising densely forested hillsides and creek frontage, supports wildlife including deer, foxes, coyotes, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers and other local and migratory birds.[5]
Clatsop Butte is one of several dozen volcanic vents or domes that make up the Boring Lava Field, dating to the Pleistocene. The rock is Springwater Formation basalt. The soil on the Butte consists of windblown silt deposits from the catastrophic Missoula Floods. (15)
The high point at the southern end of the open area of Clatsop Butte has dramatic views in all directions. Looking east is an iconic, virtually unobstructed view of snowcapped Mt. Hood. To the south, Mt. Jefferson’s summit is visible on clear winter days. Larch Mountain and the western end of the Columbia Gorge can be seen in the northern foreground, with Silver Star Mountain, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens appearing on the horizon. The towers of downtown Portland and Forest Park’s long ridgeline are seen to the west, with other high places such as Mt. Scott, Mt. Tabor and Willamette National Cemetery in the western foreground. Views from the park are outstanding and will be a significant draw for local as well as regional users. View destinations such as the Clatsop Butte Park are highly desirable and should create an incentive great enough to draw users from the Springwater Corridor and from Powell Butte. (22)
The park property was purchased by PP&R from a private developer in 2000. It encompasses several tax lots and several vacated street rights of way. Clatsop Butte Natural Area encompasses three tax lots, all owned by Metro but managed by PP&R. The open space tract to the north of the property is owned by Multnomah County. There are three neighborhood Homeowners’ Associations surrounding the site, all of which control private tracts of open space: Emerald View to the east (including a long sliver of land that separates two parcels of the natural area), Lexington Hills to the south and McGregor Heights to the north and west. (25)
Two large mounds have been created on this site, from topsoil bulldozed off the property in preparation for development. Standing atop one of the mounds offers a unique viewpoint over treetops and rooftops. These mounds could be removed and their topsoil could be redistributed on the site. One of these mounds could be reshaped or retained near the highest part of the site as a new artificial hill, shaped to offer an overlook of surrounding natural features. (35)
Not far from Powell Butte Natural Park— one of Portland's larger parks— Clatsop Butte Park is hidden away in the Pleasant Valley area of southeast Portland. Don't be fooled by the spare hillside when you pull up; walk down the hill to get a small trailhead and sign. It's removed from the road and nearby development, and a good…
Clatsop Buttes Natural Area is made up of five adjoining parcels at the edge of the city limits -- including a 43-acre grassy meadow called Clatsop Butte Park with spectacular views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and downtown Portland --and an adjoining 49-acre sloping, forested area popular with hikers and equestrians.
Additional wooded parcels and open spaces have been cobbled together in recent months by city and Metro officials to form the 150-acre natural protected area crucial to the environmental health of the Johnson Creek Watershed.
