Larch Mountain via Cold Creek Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Yacolt Burn Trailhead
- End point: Larch Mountain
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 11.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 2300 feet
- High point: 3,496 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer to mid-fall
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The Tarbell Trail is a 25-mile loop in the western reaches of Washington's Yacolt Burn State Forest that connects the Rock Creek and Cold Creek Campgrounds with Larch Mountain, the western slopes of Silver Star Mountain, and Kloochman Butte. Most of this forest has been logged at least once, and you may encounter detours around logging operations while on the trail. This section of the Tarbell ascends 2,300 feet and offers views from the big talus slope on the north side of Larch Mountain although there are no expansive views from the summit. Be prepared to encounter mountain bikers as this is a popular route for two-wheelers.
The Tarbell Trail is named after a hermit named George Lee Tarbell, who created a part of the current trail route to access his isolated shack. In July 1925, Tarbell got into an altercation with two young men who were harvesting cascara bark (used to make laxatives) on his property. He shot and killed one of them, but was acquitted in court for reason of self-defense. The current trail route was completed in 1970.
Walk out to the entrance of the parking lot, and turn left past the beginning of gated Road L-1070. You’ll see a signpost for the Tarbell Trail, and following this trail, turn right at a junction and then keep right at the next junction. You’ll be hiking through a clearcut on the bed of an old logging railroad. Stay left on the rail bed and pass through a section of secondary Douglas-fir forest before crossing a regenerating clearcut. Then the Tarbell Trail enters a more mature woodland carpeted with salal and sword fern to cross small creek. After passing through another clearcut, make a sharp right off the rail bed at the junction with Murphy’s Grade.
The Tarbell descends close to the edge of the clearcut into mossy woods, and you’ll turn sharply left at an unmarked junction. Now the trail follows the mossy riparian corridor above Cold Creek in cool Douglas-fir/hemlock/cedar/alder woods. You’ll cross a rather lumpy old boardwalk and undulate along above the creek, noting half-mile markers when they come up. A bermed switchback takes you up through a carpet of salal, and you’ll get views to cascades on Cold Creek. After passing a small bike jump, make a left to avoid a blind biker’s berm, and hike up to a momentary junction with Murphy’s Grade, keeping right and then right again to stay on the Tarbell.
The trail uses a mossy old road bed before bearing right to cross a railed bridge over Cold Creek. Hike up around bermed curves to cross a footbridge over a tributary creek, and keep rising in mature slope forest. Cold Creek tumbles down to your left as you wind up through four more berms and recross Cold Creek on a bridge in a shady glade. Traverse up the slope, and make three switchbacks into a regenerating clearcut replanted with noble fir and Douglas-fir. One more bermed switchback takes you to Road L-1070 and the upper junction with Murphy’s Grade.
Cross the road, and keep following the Tarbell Trail. (Bikers usually turn down the road here to connect with the lower section of the Sixth Sense Trail.) There’s a view up to the forested summit area of Larch Mountain. You’ll pass Milepost 14.5 and get views to Mount Saint Helens, with Goat Mountain prominent to its left, and the top of Mount Rainier. Cross the end of a logging spur and ascend parallel to a logging road. The whole north-south ridge of Silver Star Mountain, with Sturgeon Rock in the center, is visible, with the Tatoosh Hills above the East Fork Lewis River to Silver Star’s north. The Tarbell Trail passes into dark woods of silver and noble fir to reach the junction with the Sixth Sense Trail, where you should keep right.
Make a traverse and switchback up four times before passing below a rock outcrop. There are three more switchbacks in noble fir, silver fir, Douglas-fir woods on a sometimes rocky tread. The trail emerges at an opening. Traverse up across a large talus slope, passing the Flintstone Picnic Area (one table), from which there are views to Silver Star Mountain and Pyramid Rock. Farther away, Mount Saint Helens and the summit of Mount Rainier will adorn the northern horizon on a clear day. Continue on the talus tread, perhaps disturbing some squeaking pikas, and make a level traverse through a Sitka alder/ devil’s club thicket and enter bear-grass carpeted woods. Cross an eroded, rocky track and reach the Tarbell-Larch Mountain Trail Junction. The trail ascends to a post and road bed at the Tarbell-Larch Mountain Cutoff Trail Junction. Go left here again on a level trail and keep left at a road junction. Continue up the wide, rubbly track to the top of Larch Mountain and its microwave towers. There aren’t many views here: just some glimpses to the west and south. The mountain bike trailhead is one mile down the road that reaches the summit from the west.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Yacolt Burn State Forest Recreation and Trails Map (Washington DNR)
- Washington Department of Natural Resources: The Yacolt Burn State Forest Map
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- Discover Pass required at trailhead
- Share trail with mountain bikers
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Larch Mountain via Cold Creek Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Larch Mountain via Cold Creek Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Urban Trails: Vancouver by Craig Romano
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- Mountain Biking: Portland by Scott Rapp
More Links
- Tarbell Trail (Washington Trails Association)
- Cold Creek/Larch Mountain/Tarbell (Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance)
- Cold Creek/Larch Mountain/Tarbell Trail (MBpost.com)
- Larch Mountain (Clark County, Washington)
- Yacolt Burn State Forest (Washington DNR)
- George Lee Tarbell (Clark History)
Contributors
- bobcat (creator)