Aldrich Butte Trailhead
From Portland Hikers Field Guide
- Latitude: 45.64852
- Longitude: -121.975
- Maps: Portland Hikers Maps Google Earth
- Elevation: 80 feet
- Driving time from Portland: 1 hour
Contents |
Hikes starting here
- Aldrich Butte Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- Lower Greenleaf Falls Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- Table Mountain from Aldrich Butte Trailhead Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
- Table Mountain Loop Hike (TH | <-- --> | LOG)
Description
Aldrich Butte Trailhead is a bit of a misnomer. There is no official trailhead (although the Forest Service had planned to build one). For the sake of this description, we are placing the trailhead near the start of Shelly Lane. Shelly Lane begins at the end of Cascade Drive just north of Greenleaf Slough in North Bonneville where the two-lane paved road becomes a dirt road and crosses Carpenter Creek.
The road currently serving as an access road was built as Aldrich Butte Road back in 1942 to give provide military access to Aldrich Butte.
An easement for an underground pipeline and the power line right-of-way provide hikers alternate points of access to Aldrich Butte Road and points beyond. Indeed, hikers have found their own favorite parking areas, including Skamania County Port property near the trailer parks to the west, and the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort to the east. Private and public property is not well marked in the area and many of these alternates may trespass on private land.
This trailhead is actually much more popular with people climbing Table Mountain than Aldrich Butte because this is a huge short cut - shortening the round trip by about 4 miles, and allowing hikers to skip the sometimes bland longer hike option that starts at the Bonneville Trailhead.
Fees and Regulations
- No fees or regulations.
- Please respect private property in the area. Property owners have been magnanimous with respect to hikers. Please do not take this for granted!
Driving Directions
Coming from Portland, take I-84 East to Cascade Locks and take the toll bridge (Bridge of the Gods) across to Washington. Take a left (west) on state Highway 14. After you've gone about a mile and a half you'll see the Bonneville Dam on your left. Go another 1/2 mile watching for the second turn off (the first is to Bonneville Trailhead - you don't want that) which is Hot Springs Road. Go under the railroad trestle and take an immediate right onto Cascade Drive. Follow Cascade Drive as it sweeps around the the far end of Greenleaf Slough. At about 2.0 miles you'll pass under the power lines right with the slough to your left. Some guidebooks have you park here, but it is posted, and the space is limited.
Instead, continue another .3 of a mile to what looks like an obvious parking area. Again, this is a popular stopping point, but we'll have you continue on what now looks like a private drive as it crosses Carpenter Creek and becomes a one-lane unpaved road. Cross the small bridge over Carpenter Creek and turn right on the first powerline access road. Some vehicles will need to park right here, but people with a lot of road clearance might be able to proceed a bit farther.