Hamilton Mtn loop

8 miles
2100 feet elevation gain

Fresh off Dog Mtn last week, we decided to go back an finish a hike we started last year but never did, Hamilton Mtn. Aka the guy in this terrible picture

Terrible view from trail leading up under some power lines

Sadly you don't really get a full view that appreciates the mountain you are about to climb from the trail itself, Hamilton is best admired from the other side of the river first as you drive by it because there isn't a good parking spot. It's the big soft triangular cliff beast right behind Beacon Rock

Here is a halfway decent pic from google

The Trail is in Beacon Rock state park and is very well maintained as the place is popular. They even have horse trails that connect it with nearby Hardy Ridge, which is a hike that I should be doing soon. The trail starts with a tough uphill for about 3/4ths of a mile in the forest surrounded by big fir trees. After that it levels out and stays in the forest and crosses over Hardy Creek at the Pool of the Winds, which is a nice little waterfall that plunges into a rock crease and sprays refreshing mist all over you.

 The area was covered in young birds hopping around getting some food. We took a break on the bridge then continued up the trail to the Hamilton Mountain loop junction. It's here that you get the funniest sign in all of the Gorge.

Choices. This is where we turned around the first time we got here (which is the hike this picture was taken on). We started up the "difficult" way only to discover it was 4 miles to the top from a passing hiker, then turned around. It was too late in the day to try it. This time though, I knew what we were doing. We took the "More Difficult" trail. It was another 2 miles or so to the top, and rewards were grand. The trail gets steep here reaching a small overlook and pounding upwards to the western knob of the mountains cliff face, known as "little hamilton mtn". After Dog Mountain though, the steep uphill wasn't bad at all. As you get closer to little hamilton, the trail begins to open up a bit into cliff views and wildflower meadows. Then you hit little Hamilton, and you get the first real showstopper, and maybe the best view of the day.

Panorama from Little Hamilton

Mt Hood peeks over the Oregon side hills

Little Hamilton Mountain's spur sections

Beacon Rock looking west. For height reference Beacon Rock is about 850 feet tall.

Now the trail walks along the top of the cliff face, and you get great views of the main cliff of Hamilton Mtn proper. You can also see that the front of this mountain probably slid off at some point ages ago.

After several switchbacks the trail abandons the cliff faces and you start the final ascent. At this point all info I've read made it sound like this was steep and difficult, but the trail never really got difficult at all. Maybe it was Dog Mountain that hardened us but the incline was nothing special, even for gorge hikes. Dog, Starvation Ridge, even Devils rest was tougher than this. About halfway up in the forested area, we got mooned by a cheeky deer who was too busy eating his food to care that people were about 20 feet away just giggling at it.

Sassy deer. Sat there eating for 5 minutes before it decided to give a hoot about us and hop off

You get intermittent views of the gorge but then the trail ducks further back towards the summit, which is a great view but sadly overgrown somewhat. You do however get to see Mt hood, Mt Adams, and a great view of the Table Mountain complex.

Mt Hood

Indian Paintbrush wildflower

Carson, Wind Mountain and Dog Mountain, our previous week's conquest in the far distance beyond the bend of the river.

Great view of Table Mountain, our goal for this year. 

Table Mountain and a shy Mt Adams hiding behind clouds.

We ate some food at the top, then began the back portion of the trail. We descended a little bit, before coming out on the saddle of Hamilton into a wide expanse meadow that I was not expecting to our final great view of the hike. 

Looking back at Hamilton and Oregon from the saddle

Then the trail descends. You follow an equestrian trail down for a while until a junction, then return into a hiker only trail and follow Hardy creek back until you hit the junction with the hilarious difficult signs. From there it's a straight shot back to the parking lot and home. We walked almost exactly 8 miles.

It's a good hike. It was enough of a challenge, even if you skip the back loop of the hike which you shouldn't because the saddle is beautiful. Not too tough a climb, the views were expansive and the payoff felt worth it. Not in my top 5 hikes ever, but certainly worth it. My girlfriend loved it though, so recommendations all around.