Parking
Use the wide gravel pullout on the north side of SR 14 just after the second tunnel east of Lyle; the trail begins beside a tall basalt pillar.
Overview
About Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail
Why go
- Gnarled cherry trees and broad Columbia Gorge views
- Successive spring wildflowers on an open hillside
Heads up
- Steady rocky climbing, with a steep finish at the orchard
- Poison oak often borders the path
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation144–1,178 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail, 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
Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching Lyle Cherry Orchard Trailhead, where a rocky climb leads to gnarled cherry trees high above 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
- The Boat Behind the Barges
- The Road That Stopped at Lyle
- Lava in Sheets
- Mayer State Park River Access
- 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 Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail
The orchard above the riverLyle Cherry Orchard Trail is a 5-mile, mostly out-and-back hike to an old orchard above the…
Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail is a 5-mile, mostly out-and-back hike to an old orchard above the Columbia River. The round-trip distance from the SR 14 trailhead includes the Cherry Loop; allow 3 to 3.5 hours and about 1,100 feet of climbing. The open, flower-rich slope suits a spring outing, but the route is a sustained, rocky climb, steepest near the orchard.
Follow the ridge to the treesThe path starts beside a basalt pillar and climbs through scrub oak; poison oak often borders…
The path starts beside a basalt pillar and climbs through scrub oak; poison oak often borders it. A short spur follows the Lyle Convict Road, a 1910–11 attempt built by imprisoned men, before rockslides stop it. At 0.8 mile, a level bench looks over Lyle and its riverfront. Take the east-side Cherry Loop for a river outlook, then follow the main trail through oak and switchbacks, past a seasonal pond, to the orchard. Gnarled trees stand beyond a wide grassy clearing; the last stretch is steepest. Keep quiet and stay on trail by the falcon nesting viewpoint. Frame a gnarled trunk with the river behind it.
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.
