Parking
Start at the Doetsch Ranch Day Use Area parking loop. WTA reports space for about 30 cars; restrooms and a large picnic area are at the same access.
Overview
About Doetsch Walking Path
Why go
- Nearly level paved loop with interpretive panels
- Meadow and river views toward Beacon Rock and the Gorge
Heads up
- Too short and gentle for a workout or a demanding hike
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation33–50 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 Doetsch Walking Path, 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 trailhead
Doetsch Ranch River Walks0:00 / 0:25
“You're approaching Doetsch Ranch Day Use Area, where a paved loop circles former pasture beside the Columbia.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Beacon Rock
- The Rock That Almost Became a Jetty
- Hamilton Mountain Trailhead
- Elowah Falls from John B. Yeon
- 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 Doetsch Walking Path
An easy river walkDoetsch Walking Path is a 1.
Doetsch Walking Path is a 1.2-mile loop from Doetsch Ranch Day Use Area, circling former ranch pasture along the Columbia River shoreline. It is paved and nearly level, with interpretive panels about the area's natural and human history. Come for a gentle walk and Gorge views, not a climb; allow 30 to 45 minutes if you stop at the panels and benches.
Around the pastureThe route moves between open grass and tree-lined edges, then brings you along the Columbia…
The route moves between open grass and tree-lined edges, then brings you along the Columbia shore. Look east for Beacon Rock; the open parts also look across the river toward the Oregon side of the Gorge. The benches and panels make this more than a quick path through the grass. In spring, high river water can cover the beach, so do not count on getting down to the shoreline itself.
Start at Doetsch RanchPark at the Doetsch Ranch Day Use Area; its parking loop is the walk's starting access.
Park at the Doetsch Ranch Day Use Area; its parking loop is the walk's starting access. There is room for about 30 cars, with restrooms and a large picnic area beside it. A Washington State Parks pass or one-day pass is required. Dogs are allowed on leash, and the path is for foot traffic or bicycles. Food or drinking water at the trailhead was not identified.
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.
