Indian Point loop

Herman Creek. Herman Creek is a hiking destination for locals, a place to escape from the crowds of the bigger, more grandiose hikes that clog up with tourists. It's not a flashy place. This was my first time here, and despite it being a great day for a hike there were never more than 10 cars in the small parking lot, where as most of the more popular hikes will fill up with 30+ depending on the size of the lot. Dog Mountain gets hundreds on a weekend.

The reason for this I would assume is that none of the hikes in the area are terribly scenic with can't miss views, or they aren't easy hikes, and all of the area is covered in trees. It's a place to walk through the woods and reflect. You wouldn't take your visiting family/friends here. You'd come here to get the hell away from them.

Indian Point is the one exception to the lack of viewpoints. But you gotta earn it. It's a big rock pillar/spine of Basalt on the bend of the river across from Carson, Washington. Honestly I don't know if I've ever seen it from the ground or from across the river. I mean, it was in view from Dog and Wind mountains, but I didn't know what I was looking at when I was up there.

Taken from lower Dog Mountain. I think Indian Point is the exposed jut on the cliff from the river bend on the Oregon Side,

The trail to Indian Point follows the Gorton Creek trail. You start in the Herman Creek trail head across from Herman Camp and follow the Herman Creek trail. After a short and steep .3 of a mile you cross under the power lines, and the climb begins to level out and follow an old logging road. There is a junction that goes down to Herman Creek itself, and to the PCT, but you are going up. After about 1.5 miles, you come to the real Herman Camp in a large open canopy area. From here there are 3 ways to go. Right goes up Nick Eaton ridge and up Herman Creek. Straight is the Gorton Creek trail, which is what you want. Hard left is gorge trail 400 along the freeway to Wyeth. From here, you are now climbing about 2300 feet steadily in 2.6 miles along the front of the ridge to the top. The hike is all enclosed, nothing but trees and quiet around you, and no views. The trail goes up at a very steady pace. There are no dips or steeper sections, it's just an incredibly steady climb. Enough to make you sweat and feel the burn, but not really enough to make you stop and need a break. Finally, when you do start to get annoyed and tired, you are suddenly there! A junction at the top of a hill points to the ridge trail up Nick Eaton Ridge while a small path goes straight. You go straight for 100 feet, and you quickly see a small user path off to the left. Climb down this .3 miles of knee agonizing steep and you emerge out on Indian Point's spine, and all is made worth it.

View east from 2600 feet, atop Indian Point

A sailboat on the Columbia over 2000 feet below us

The barge coming up the Columbia. In view: Wind, Dog (behind wind) and Shellrock mountain (Across from wind). Mitchell point is the small and final cliff in view on the Oregon Side

enjoying the view

Indian Point itself. Don't climb the knob, but everything else is easy to reach.

Indian Point faces east, and you get a phenomenal view of Wind Mountain, Dog Mountain, Mitchell Point, and the Maryhill area. If the day had been nicer and less overcast, we would have been able to see Mount Adams as well, but alas.

Indian Point is a rock spine that juts out from the cliff wall, and off to either side is a drop to death. Luckily the spine itself is wider than anything Munra Point forces on you, and unless you are stupid and try to climb the point itself at the end, you'll be fine. Someone (maybe Native Americans? Maybe just some hikers?) built a sort of wind shield out of rocks facing east, and it's easy to chill there, eat some food and enjoy the view. We had the place to ourselves the entire 30 minutes we hung out. We only ran into 5 other groups the entire 3 hours we were out there.

For the way back you can go straight the way you came, but we elected to go up the ridge cutoff trail and hook up with the Nick Eaton trail. The Nick Eaton trail is the masochist way to the top, despite going to the same place Nick Eaton decided to grace his trail with switchbacks for a grueling 2 miles. But, it makes a loop. I heard going down was horrible on your knees, but the people who write the guides I use are older than I am so I think it hurt me less. I got a massive quad workout though and my feet hurt by the bottom. I think it's how long the switchbacks go on that gets you, not the steepness itself. There is one viewpoint on Nick Eaton facing west, but outside that it's more of the same. It's worth it though, especially at the top where things are more spread out, it's everything you want in a nice quiet forest walk.

View west from Nick Eaton ridge

View back south into Herman Creek's watershed. Benson Plateau is covered in cloud. 

We rejoined the main trail at Herman Camp and walked the 1.5 miles home, tired and happy. Indian Point and the Herman Creek area isn't flashy, and you don't get a lot of bang for your buck here, but if you need some quality alone time it's certainly got that, with one really special view to make you feel good.