Sight · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
A stone-walled Gorge perch at the end of a steep trail.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Cape Horn Loop Trail“You're approaching the Cape Horn Loop trailhead, where a steep first mile leads to Gorge views before the trail drops toward river cliffs and Cape Horn Falls.”
Plays as you drive up to Nancy Russell Cape Horn Overlook in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Nancy Russell Cape Horn Overlook is a stone-walled viewpoint high above the Columbia River Gorge, reached on Cape Horn Trail #4418 rather than from the roadside Cape Horn Outlook. It was developed in honor of Nancy Russell, whose conservation work helped protect this stretch of the Gorge. Plan for a hike, not a quick pullout: the Forest Service describes an approximately two-mile approach from the county Park and Ride.
The trail starts across Salmon Falls Road and climbs steeply through bigleaf maple; its first mile is the hardest. At about 1.2 miles, an earlier lookout arrives after roughly 800 feet of ascent, but the Nancy Russell overlook is farther on. Cross Strunk Road and follow the signed footpath and gravel tread to the spur. The destination is marked by a handcrafted stone wall beside a broad Gorge panorama. Use the wall as a foreground so a photo carries both the lookout and the layered landscape; the open view is the payoff after the climb.
The Forest Service describes a two-mile hike to the overlook, while a detailed local route description works out to about 2.5 miles each way. Plan for roughly four to five miles round trip, depending on the route you follow, and check the trail map before setting out. The lower trail closes each year from February 1 through July 15 to protect peregrine nesting habitat, but the overlook remains accessible by an upper-trail out-and-back. The full six-mile loop is available July 16 through January 31.
From Washougal, follow WA-14 east to milepost 26.4, turn onto Salmon Falls Road, then Canyon Creek Road; park at the Skamania County Park and Ride and cross Salmon Falls Road to the trail. Restrooms are at the lot, and a Forest Pass is not needed. There is no potable water at the overlook, and water at the trailhead was not confirmed, so carry what you need for the climb. The Forest Service advises leaving dogs at home because of the steep cliffs. If you want a view straight from the car, choose the separate roadside Cape Horn Outlook instead.
Wildlife
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingCape Horn Loop Trail6.5 mi · 4.5 hr · 1 mi awayWaterfalls and river views reward a steep, varied Gorge loop.
ModerateAngel's Rest Trail4.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steep climb to a rocky bluff above the Columbia Gorge.
ChallengingAngel's Rest to Devil's Rest Loop10.7 mi · 7.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA long Gorge loop from river views to a quieter forest summit.
EasyBridal Veil Overlook Loop Trail0.3 mi · 20 min · 2 mi awayA brief paved loop for river cliffs and basalt landmarks.
ModerateBridal Veil Falls Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 2 mi awayA two-tier waterfall waits beyond ninety steps and a shady creek.
ModerateLatourell Falls Loop2 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.1 mi awayFollow Latourell Creek to two waterfalls and a hidden upper drop.
ModerateWahkeena Falls Trail to Lemmons Viewpoint1.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA stone bridge, plunging falls, and a Gorge overlook on one climb.
ChallengingDevil's Rest Trail6.7 mi · 5.3 hr · 3.3 mi awayWaterfalls and Gorge views arrive before the shaded summit.
Sight · 2 mi awayBridal Veil FallsA steep falls trail and an easy bluff loop share one stop.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayShepperd’s Dell FallsA quick bridge-and-falls stop, with steps down to the creek.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayRooster Rock State ParkThree miles of river access, with a separate clothing-optional beach.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayLatourell FallsA paved walk reaches the lichen-bright plunge; loops climb to upper falls.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayWahkeena FallsA 242-foot cascade with a stone bridge at its foot.
Sight · 3.6 mi awayFairy FallsA fan-shaped creek waterfall with a bench beside the trail.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayBenson State Recreation AreaA lake swim and a round of disc golf in one stop.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayVista House at Crown PointA 1918 sandstone observatory above a sweeping river gorge view.Parkwolf’s Columbia River Gorge ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
