Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, OR · WA
A rough ridge connector with a rare view across Oneonta Valley.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 area
The Falls’ Hidden Supply“Multnomah Falls has a water source you can't see from the base. Underground springs on nearby Larch Mountain feed the creek.”
Plays on the road 1.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Franklin Ridge Trail #427 is a 2.3-mile one-way connector between Larch Mountain Trail #441 and Oneonta Trail #424 in Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. This is the ridge segment itself, not a loop or a parking-lot hike: both ends join backcountry trails, so a full outing needs an approach and exit. Longer loop listings include other paths.
Expect a primitive ground tread, brushy in places as the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire burn recovers. The route climbs and dips through switchbacks past low rock outcrops and steep talus. A rocky perch opens across Oneonta Valley toward Table Mountain and Mount Adams; regrowth and summer larkspur give the burned slope more to see. Allow about two hours for #427 itself, then add time for connecting trails. Put a rock edge in the foreground for scale.
Larch Mountain Day Use is the Forest Service starting area. Reach #427 via Trail #441, or from Oneonta Trail #424; plan a through-route or return. The day-use area has restrooms and picnic tables but no drinking water, and requires a valid Recreation Pass. A free self-issued wilderness permit is required for day use from Memorial Day weekend through October 31. Larch Mountain Road closes seasonally, usually late November through late May or early June.
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
ModerateOneonta Trail to Triple Falls3.5 mi · 2.8 hr · 1.4 mi awayThree falls reward a rocky, exposed climb above Oneonta Creek.ChallengingOneonta Trail #4248.2 mi · 7.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayWaterfalls first, then a steep climb all the way to Larch Mountain.
ChallengingHorsetail Creek Trail (#425)8.6 mi · 7.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayAn 8.6-mile one-way climb from Oneonta to Nesmith Point Road.
ModerateMultnomah Creek Way Trail (#444)2.7 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.5 mi awayA creekside link with a meadow view of Sherrard Point.
ModerateVista Point Trail #4190.8 mi · 30 min · 1.5 mi awayA short upper trail trades the spring stop for a river view.
ChallengingLarch Mountain Trail #4416.8 mi · 7 hr · 1.6 mi awayFalls crowds fade into a quiet creek and ridge climb.
ChallengingMultnomah Falls to Sherrard Point via Larch Mountain Trail14.2 mi · 10 hr · 1.6 mi awayFour waterfalls, a creek gorge, and a hard summit climb.
ModerateMultnomah Falls Trail to the Top2.4 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.6 mi awayClimb eleven switchbacks to a wooden overlook over the upper fallsSight · 1 mi awayTriple FallsThree creek-fed cascades reward a steep, rocky climb.
Sight · 1 mi awayOneonta GorgeA lichen-lined slot canyon, still closed after the 2017 fire.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayMultnomah FallsA two-tier waterfall with a 1914 footbridge between its drops.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayPonytail FallsWalk behind an 88-foot waterfall through its basalt alcove.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayMultnomah Falls LodgeA 1925 lodge for dining and visitor services beneath Multnomah Falls.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayHorsetail FallsA basalt cascade you can see without hiking uphill.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayBenson State Recreation AreaA lake swim and a round of disc golf in one stop.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayFairy FallsA fan-shaped creek waterfall with a bench beside the trail.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.
