School Canyon-Little Badger Creek Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Little Badger Creek Trailhead
- End point: Gnome Rocks
- Hike type: Loop
- Distance: 9.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 2150 feet
- High point: 4,100 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Mid-spring to mid-fall
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
- Add-on Hikes Flag Point Add-on Hike
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Description
This hike explores two less used trails on the east side of Badger Creek Wilderness. This area is located in the rain shadow of the Cascades, so it gets significantly less rain and snow than the west side of the mountains. You'll begin the loop with a short uphill off-trail section that takes you to Road 27, where the School Canyon Trailhead is located. In the first mile or so of the School Canyon Trail, there are white oak forests and picturesque meadows covered with balsamroot, lupine, larkspur, and other blooming wildflowers in May and June. Higher up (and along Little Badger Creek), there are ponderosa pines, with a mix of firs and the occasional juniper and oak. There are some viewpoints to the east onto the flats near the White and Deschutes rivers; these make a stark contrast with lush green mountains around you.
Unless you are doing a car shuttle or hike and bike between the two trailheads, it is recommended that you begin this loop at the Little Badger Creek Trailhead. Cross FR 2710, and find the trail heading in near the culvert through which Little Badger Creek flows. Almost immediately, before you even reach the wilderness sign, begin your half-mile off-trail ascent through a ponderosa pine parkland. Keep heading up, N or NNE, soon passing into oak woods and meadows blooming with penstemon and balsamroot. Views open up along the Little Badger Creek valley, with Gordon Butte on the left and Flag Point at the head of the valley. The route steepens briefly and then becomes more gentle. You'll pass through a dense band of oaks just before reaching paved FR 27. Turn left here to hike up the road to reach the School Canyon Trailhead.
The School Canyon Trail begins gently uphill on a wide ridge through a pine/oak grassland. There are views to the left all the way to Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters. As you climb towards Ball Point (yes, that is the name), the trail becomes steeper and leads to a great 270-degree saddle viewpoint. Then the trail goes around the north side of Ball Point through a 2007 burn and enters more conventional fir/pine forest. After some more climbing, steep at times, you head slightly downhill and before long come to a nice plateau meadow with thin pines and manzanita bushes. Here, you'll come to a well signed junction with the Little Badger Creek Trail, your return route.
To take in some of the local sights, head straight 300 yards to an unsigned turn for the Helispot Viewpoint (there is a broken sign at the helispot but not at the junction). You'll see the helispot 100 yards left from the main trail - it is a flat, treeless area on the edge of the plateau, originally used by fire crews: head there. There are nice views east, up and down Little Badger Creek Canyon, and towards Flag Point. There is an established campsite and fire ring at the helispot; the sign designating Helispot #122 is now disintegrating under a bush. From the Helispot Viewpoint, pick a path heading southeast and downhill to see a rock garden of fantastical formations sometimes known as Gnome Rocks. This short trail goes among big rocks and rock spires rising high from the steep slope, a very interesting place. There is another small campsite among the rocks, with probably more shade than the campsite at the helispot, but it is far away from a water source. After exploring the viewpoint and the rocks, go back up to the main trail.
If you are backpacking, you may choose one of the two campsites (just described) with a view, or choose one a little further up the main trail, with a lot of available firewood and a spring nearby. To locate Junction Spring, go about 100-150 yards more uphill (west) on the main trail, and veer left on a side trail. If you pass a campsite on your left, you've gone too far. Head downhill through a camp, and find a trail heading west. This is a strong spring, but it may dry up at the end of a hot summer. The main trail continues 3.7 miles to the lookout on the top of Flag Point.
For your return, head back to a junction with the Little Badger Creek Trail, and bear right. It is one steep trail! In just over half a mile you'll lose 800 feet, passing through an outlier juniper forest. Down at the canyon bottom there are some historic structures. Bear right at the bottom to what looks like a giant burrow. It is the old Kinzel Mine. The adit is about 80 feet deep and in the back it curves like a "J". It's carved into solid rock, with no evidence of ceiling collapse or cracks. There were some mice in the end of the tunnel, and there can be larger wildlife (think hibernating bear) - probably not a good idea to explore too far.
After seeing the mine, head back on the main trail. Soon you'll pass the Kinzel Cabin on your left and the last good campsite on your right. You may get more water from Little Badger Creek here; the trail will go way above the creek for the next couple of miles.
After the camp, the trail traverses far above Little Badger Creek and even switchbacks to gain some elevation before starting a gentle descent to the creek again. You'll pass more oak grassland and an area burned in the 2007 Ball Point Fire (most of the trees have recovered well). Look for patches of sweet strawberries if you hike here in late June or early July. When you reach the level of the creek again, you know you're getting close to the end of the hike. There is large flat area suitable for camping at the creek, about half a mile mile before the lower trailhead.
Side Trip Options
You may add a hike from the Helispot Viewpoint/Gnome Rocks up to Flag Point and visit a historic lookout. See the Flag Point Add-on Hike for details.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- No fees
- Outhouse at the Little Badger Creek Trailhead
- Information kiosk at the School Canyon Trailhead
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Flag Point, OR #463
- Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North: Trail Map & Hiking Guide
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Barlow Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Columbia Wilderness and Badger Creek Wilderness
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount Hood
- Adventure Maps: Mt. Hood Area
- Adventure Maps: Hood River, Oregon, Trail Map
- Adventure Maps: 44 Trails Area plus the best of the G.P.N.F.
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for School Canyon Little Badger Creek
- Little Badger to Heliport
- School Canyon – Little Badger Creek Loop 6-13-22
- School Canyon- Little Badger Loop
- Little Badger Creek backpack with kids
- School Canyon / Little Badger Loop - June 11, 2017
- Little Badger Creek-Ball Point Loop (6-3-17)
- Memorial Day weekend in Badger Creek Wilderness
- School Canyon Ball point meander
- Badger Creek Wilderness Backpack
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for School Canyon Little Badger Creek
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Extraordinary Oregon! by Matt Reeder
- Off the Beaten Trail by Matt Reeder
- PDX Hiking 365 by Matt Reeder
- Hiking Mount Hood National Forest by Marcia Sinclair
- 105 Virtual Hikes of the Mt. Hood National Forest by Northwest Hiker
- Hiking Oregon's Mount Hood & Badger Creek Wilderness by Fred Barstad
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain (School Canyon Trail only)
- 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon by William L. Sullivan (School Canyon Trail only)
- A Guide to the Trails of Badger Creek by Ken & Ruth Love
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon's Columbia River Gorge: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
More Links
- School Canyon Trail #468 (USFS)
- School Canyon Trail #468 (Mt. Hood National Forest)
- Little Badger Trail #469 (USFS)
- Little Badger Trail #469 (Mt. Hood National Forest)
- Badger Creek Wilderness at its Springtime Best (John Carr Outdoors)
- A Challenging but Fascinating Hike in the Badger Creek Wilderness (John Carr Outdoors)
- East Badger Creek Wilderness Loop (Roman)
- Little Badger Creek-Ball Point-School Canyon Loop Trail (My Hikes)
- Little Badger/Ball Point Loop (TrailsNW)
- Badger Creek Wilderness Loop: Little Badger Creek and School Canyon Trails (Cascade Hiking)