Parking
Start at Larch Mountain Picnic Area / Trailhead and use designated parking stalls. A valid Recreation Pass or day-use fee is required. Accessible vault toilets and picnic tables are on site; potable water is not available.
Overview
About Sherrard Point Trail
Why go
- A short paved forest walk leads to a fenced summit platform.
- Clear-day views take in five Cascade peaks.
Heads up
- Several flights of stairs make the viewpoint inaccessible for wheelchairs.
- Larch Mountain Road closes through winter and spring.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation3,909–4,043 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 Sherrard Point 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
Sherrard Point on Larch Mountain0:00 / 0:30
“You're approaching Sherrard Point on Larch Mountain, where a short paved walk and several flights of stairs lead to a fenced summit platform.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Multnomah Falls and Lodge
- The Falls’ Hidden Supply
- Wahkeena Falls
- Benson State Recreation 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 Sherrard Point Trail
A quick summit walkSherrard Point Trail is a paved out-and-back from Larch Mountain Picnic Area to a fenced summit…
Sherrard Point Trail is a paved out-and-back from Larch Mountain Picnic Area to a fenced summit viewpoint. Its 0.26-mile mapped corridor makes the round trip about 0.52 miles; allow 30 minutes with a look around. On clear days, views reach Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, Hood, and Jefferson, with a tarn and crater meadow below.
The final climbThe paved path dips through montane forest to a saddle, then several flights of stairs climb to…
The paved path dips through montane forest to a saddle, then several flights of stairs climb to a flat, fenced concrete platform. The stairs are the hard part, and the viewpoint is not ADA accessible. Panels identify the peaks. For a Mount Hood photo, leave the forested ridges below it in frame. An optional return loop from the saddle passes an old stone-walled automobile turnaround and crosses the picnic area; that extra walk is not part of the mapped route.
Getting therePark in the designated spaces at Larch Mountain Picnic Area / Trailhead.
Park in the designated spaces at Larch Mountain Picnic Area / Trailhead. A valid Recreation Pass or day-use fee is required. The picnic area has accessible vault toilets and about ten tables, but no potable water. Larch Mountain Road is narrow with limited visibility and popular with road cyclists. It closes each winter, usually from late November until late May or early June, depending on snowpack.
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.
