Parking
Start at Beacon Rock State Park Equestrian Trailhead. Directions via Kueffler Road include about 1.1 miles of pavement followed by 0.3 mile of gravel. A Discover Pass is required.
Overview
About Bridge Trail Loop
Why go
- Wooden bridge over Hardy Creek
- Shady creekside forest route
- A full loop returning to the same trailhead
Heads up
- A long commitment for a creek-and-forest walk
- Shared trails can have horse and bicycle traffic
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation820–1,913 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Columbia River Gorge alerts
- ClosureEagle Creek Fire area closureDo not enter Oneonta Gorge or the specified trail sections because hazards remain following the Eagle Creek Fire.Official details
- CautionAircraft and drone restrictions at developed recreation sitesAircraft and drone landings, drop-offs, and pickups are prohibited at six high-use developed recreation sites to protect visitor safety.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Bridge Trail Loop, narrated.
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 area
Beacon Rock0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching Beacon Rock, the basalt core of an extinct volcano with a trail wrapped onto its face.”
Plays on the road 1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Hamilton Mountain Trailhead
- Doetsch Ranch River Walks
- When the Hillside Blocked the River
- Sams Walker Day Use Area
- 217 audio storiesacross Columbia River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Black Bear, American Pika, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 111 trails, 78 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Bridge Trail Loop
A wooded loop, not a summit climbBridge Trail Loop is a 7.
Bridge Trail Loop is a 7.04-mile circuit from the Equestrian Trailhead through East Hardy, Bridge Trail and Upper Hardy, then back on the Equestrian route. The park rates it moderate and lists about 1,004 feet of gain; allow around four hours for the distance and creekside stops. This is a long forest walk with Hardy Creek and the wooden bridge as its payoff, not a summit climb. Pick it if you want a substantial loop among the trees.
From track to creekThe walk starts on the Equestrian Trail, a broad unpaved double-track through second-growth…
The walk starts on the Equestrian Trail, a broad unpaved double-track through second-growth forest. Turn onto East Hardy, then follow Bridge Trail toward the creek. That connector is about a mile long; the tread narrows under evergreen canopy and passes small stream crossings before reaching the wooden bridge over Hardy Creek. The bridge, with the creek below and trees close around it, is the route’s signature stop. For a photo, frame the railings along the bend with the water off to one side; that shows the setting better than a close crop of the boards.
Complete the circuitAfter the bridge, continue on Upper Hardy along the creek.
After the bridge, continue on Upper Hardy along the creek. An older route report places a vault toilet about halfway along the creek section; don’t count on it without checking current facilities. Stay on Upper Hardy to the Equestrian Trail, then follow the multiuse track back to the same lot. The route is shared with horses and bicycles, and dogs are allowed on leash. The creekside ground can be boggy and uneven, with several small stream crossings, so expect softer footing there. The trailhead is off Kueffler Road; the final 0.3 mile is gravel after about 1.1 miles of pavement. A Discover Pass is required for parking.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Columbia River Gorge
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.
