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Summary: This is a great trail to take on a sunny afternoon. Not the traditional way to get to Larch Mountain, but a very good look at several falls along the way. Once you pass Multnomah Falls, you enter a lush green forest and meander along the river for 6.8 miles and gains over 4000ft. You will pass no less than 5 waterfalls on the way; some are small and shallow, while others are up to 40ft or more and plunge into deep green pools. The trail crosses the river several times. Keep an eye on your footing as you go, the thick canopy does not let in large amounts of light to dry the trail out very quickly after a rainstorm. Once you get to the top of the trail there is a large picnic area with tables that makes for a nice lunch break. Be sure to take the 1/4 mile trail up to Sherrad Point. From this vantage point one can see the following Cascade Mountains. Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and the top of Mt. Jefferson. What an awesome view. Trailhead: Take I-84 to the Multnomah Falls exit, park in the lot and walk under the freeway via the tunnel. The trail starts next to the lodge and takes you past beautiful Multnomah Falls on your way up. (Lat:45.567639 Lon:-122.11645) Trail Guides for Larch Mountain Trail, Columbia River Gorge Oregon: Hiking the Columbia River Gorge by Russ Schneider (Falcon Guide) 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Portland by Paul Gerald (Menasha Ridge Press) Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Hood River Ranger Station 6780 Highway 35 Mt. Hood - Parkdale, OR 97041 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Drew Furnia, who has posted 23 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 6 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by JesusBourne on 2/28/2012 Hiked this on 2/27/2012, kind of a crazy hike. First bridge past falls was down, had to find another way around. Recommend hiking boots and warmer weather. 3 feet of snow at the top and was snowing entire way down. Amazing scenery but trudging through feet of snow in running shoes was brutal. Be properly equipped.
Reviewed by m on 6/15/2011 Ok, I don't know what one reviewer was talking about when they said this was one of the easiest hikes around! This puppy is arduous, both on the way up, as well as on the way down. Did this hike yesterday, last mile was all snow, which I admit, we were not prepared for. This is an amazingly beautiful hike, but it is hard both on the way up as well as on the way down. 
Reviewed by Shadewalker on 3/21/2011 Excellent trail! Have traversed it several times. Probably one of the easiest hikes around, with loads of scenics! The only bits I dislike are the bloody crowds around the beginning/end of it all, at Multnomah falls. So hike thru the snow, and skip the summer crowds. tip to the city slickers. Follow water downhill, it will lead you out no matter where you are. Either to civilization or to the ocean.
Reviewed by Deeebo on 12/1/2010 To avoid the downhill knee-thumping and to add one extra layer of awesomeness do this: drive to the top of Larch Mt and stash your road bike. Now drive down to the Multnomah Falls visitor center and park. Do this hike up to the top and then enjoy about 20 miles of almost complete downhill riding back to the car. Once you get down to the level of the river you'll have to cruise on the flats with a few rollers but that piece is minimal. The absolute best way to cover over 30 miles in one day.
Reviewed by Jen on 9/10/2010 I did this hike yesterday..9/8/2010. It was drizzling on the way up pouring on the way down...but it was a great hike. The scenery was great..and it was very quite. Almost got hit by a falling branch, so pay attend! This hike is not for the faint of heart..It went up..up..up. However the worst was the down..down..down. I will be trying this again..:)
Reviewed by jdd on 8/19/2010 We did this hike as a one-way shuttle from Multnomah Falls to Sherrard Point. We both agreed that climbing up the mountain would actually be easier than going down because we figured it's easier to recover from puffing up the trail than banging our knees down it. Past Multnomah Falls there is a large concentration of waterfalls nicer than you think. At the Top of Falls Viewpoint their is a small fallsto the left. Beyond the 2nd bridge there are 3 block falls I call Block Falls, then Benson Falls, and Teen Falls. Next are 2 plunges called Weisendanger Falls and Ecola Falls. Past often segmented Junction Falls is a bridge and then Slide Falls, the last one. There is also arock ridrge and a "dreamland" forest on this hike. TWO THUMBS UP
Reviewed by MC on 7/16/2010 I did the hike with my sister from the Multnomah Falls Parking lot to Sherrard Point (6.8 miles to Larch mountain picnic area then another .25 miles to the point). We absolutely loved it!! If you get that far up, I would definitely recommend Sherrard Point. It's an amazing view of the surrounding mountains. It took us about 7.5 hours to hike (with a 15 minute lunch break about 3/4 of the way up and a 45 minute rest at Sherrard point). We hiked about 14 miles (7 miles up and 7 miles back down!). It was hard but worth it. If anyone does this hike I would recommend lots of water and some trail mix, protein bars if you want and definitely some food like sandwiches. I will definitely be doing this hike again!!
Reviewed by LDA on 7/9/2010 The majority of this hike is incredible with waterfalls, beautiful rocks and wildflowers. In the areas closer to Multnomah Falls people were wading and splashing around in the pools beneath the falls. The hike was relatively strenuous with some areas where the trail is rocky and somewhat hard to negotiate. But most of the trail is well maintained and despite the Californians' comments, there are signs marking the various options. The only downside was last two miles near the Larch Mountain parking lot which looks like a war zone. Does anyone know what has happened to the trees? They look diseased or maybe infested with a severe insect problem. I might take a loop trail and avoid that area in the future. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Oregon Hiking, Oregon Trails, Oregon Hikes, Multnomah County Hiking, Multnomah County Trails, Multnomah County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
