Tanner Butte Trail

Tanner Butte Trail is a strenuous out-and-back summit hike in the Columbia River Gorge. This route measures about 17.9 miles round trip from the Forest Road 777 gate near Toothrock, including the roughly 2-mile gated-road walk each way to the signed Trail #401 start. From that sign, the trail and summit spur account for about 13.9 miles round trip. Expect roughly 4,500 feet of climbing and plan on 11 to 12 hours. It suits hikers prepared for a long day, steady climbing and careful navigation in the brushier upper stretch. The payoff is a high, open summit with a clear-weather view toward Mount Hood.

From Toothrock, walk Forest Road 777 from its gate to the signed Tanner Ridge/Butte trailhead, then follow Trail #401. The first 2.2 miles climb through Douglas-fir, noble fir and silver fir on sustained switchbacks to the Wauna Point Trail #401D junction. That side trail is unmaintained; stay on #401 for Tanner Butte. The main route continues through the forest toward the Dublin Lake turnoff, then pushes south along the ridge. The first part is a long, steady ascent rather than a short waterfall stroll. A separate approach from Wahclella has small waterfalls near its trailhead, but it follows a different access route and is not included in this mapped line.

Near Tanner Butte, the route leaves the denser fir cover for open shrubs and grasses. A short, steep and rough path makes the final climb to the high point; it is a footpath, not a technical scramble. Remnants of an old fire tower sit near the summit. On a clear day, Mount Hood rises beyond the dark forested ridges and makes the strongest view of the hike. For a useful phone photo, frame the snowy cone between the firs and include the layered ridges and low shrubs in front; that keeps the image tied to the actual summit setting instead of making it only a distant mountain portrait.

Use Toothrock Trailhead near Bonneville Exit 40 as the primary parking access. The route begins at the Forest Road 777 gate and follows the gated road about 2 miles to the signed #401 trailhead; that approach is counted in both the outbound and return distance. Wahclella is a separate fee-site alternative with a different approach. Published descriptions vary: some count from the signed trailhead, some include the road walk, and one total does not reconcile with its listed segment distances. The route here follows the mapped road, Trail #401 and summit spur, measures 8.96 miles one way, and is stored once; the visitor distance doubles that corridor to 17.9 miles round trip. Treat it as the long summit outing, not a loop. The stated time is a planning estimate for a very strenuous day, not a promise of pace.