Parking
Herman Creek Trailhead, at the west end of the campground off Forest Lane. Day-use access is sunrise to sunset; a valid Recreation Pass is required. Follow Herman Creek Trail #406 for 1.4 miles to the #408 junction.
Overview
About Gorton Creek Trail #408
Why go
- High-country views from the plateau near Ridge Camp.
- A true wilderness through-route to the Rainy-Wahtum trail network.
Heads up
- The southern tread is extremely brushy and hard to follow after Deadwood.
- The approach and one-way finish make logistics a real commitment.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation1,066–4,715 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Columbia River Gorge alerts
- ClosureEagle Creek Fire area closureMentions Eagle Creek Fire, referenced in this guideDo 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 Gorton Creek Trail #408, 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
Herman Creek Trailhead0:00 / 0:24
“You're approaching Herman Creek Trailhead, where Trail 406 leads into old-growth fir and cedar, mossy creeks, and waterfalls.”
Plays on the road 0.8 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Cone Pile’s Owner
- Rectangles in the Trees
- A Life Above the Trail
- The Slug’s Scraping Teeth
- 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 Gorton Creek Trail #408
What you’re signing up forGorton Creek Trail 408 is a 9.
Gorton Creek Trail #408 is a 9.1-mile, one-way wilderness route from Herman Creek Trail #406 to Rainy-Wahtum Trail #409 near Rainy Lake. The 9.1 miles are for #408 itself; from Herman Creek Trailhead, it takes a 1.4-mile approach on #406 to reach the route’s actual start. This is a steep, hard through-hike rather than a loop or the short Gorton Creek Falls outing. Treat it as a one- or two-day backpack climb; that’s the right scale to plan for.
Up to DeadwoodFrom the junction, 408 climbs gently under trees and crosses three seasonal streams before…
From the junction, #408 climbs gently under trees and crosses three seasonal streams before Ridge Cutoff #437, about 2.5 miles in. Continue roughly 0.9 mile to Deadwood Trail #422 and Deadwood Camp, crossing Grays Creek along the way. Turning around at Deadwood shortens the trip, but still makes a substantial out-and-back once you count the access walk. South of Deadwood the trail is unmaintained, extremely brushy and hard to follow after the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire; the tread gets much less obvious and the climb gets steeper.
The high countrySnow can linger on the northeast-facing slope.
Snow can linger on the northeast-facing slope. Near the Nick Eaton junction, a view opens toward North Lake, Rainy Lake and Green Point Mountain; Ridge Camp is another 0.2 mile on #408 at the north edge of a plateau above the lakes. The hanging meadow and Gorge panorama belong to adjacent Nick Eaton Ridge #447, not this trail. Gorton Creek Falls is also a separate short outing from Wyeth, not the end of #408.
Access and rulesPark at Herman Creek Trailhead, at the west end of the campground off Forest Lane.
Park at Herman Creek Trailhead, at the west end of the campground off Forest Lane. The day-use site is open sunrise to sunset and requires a valid Recreation Pass. Walk 1.4 miles on #406 to the #408 junction. Allow about 12 hours for the through-route and approach, or split the backpack into two days. The route ends at the #409 junction, so plan how you’ll get back; returning the same way adds another 9.1 miles plus the access walk. A free, self-issued Wilderness permit is required at the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness boundary. Dogs are allowed if kept within sight and under voice control; developed areas may require leashes.
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.
