Wyeth Trail to North Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Wyeth Trailhead
- End point: North Lake
- Hike type: In and out
- Distance: 12.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 4220 feet
- High point: 3988 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Summer into Fall
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
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Hike Description
Closed since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, the Wyeth trail reopened in October 2022 due to the hard work of Trailkeepers of Oregon volunteers and our partners! TKO thanks all who were involved in this project, especially our donors and volunteers. Please visit the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area's website for the most recent trail conditions, status and information..
The steep hike up the Wyeth Trail to North Lake is another one of those vertical, switchbacking Gorge journeys that takes you from river level to montane forest in just a few miles. In 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire raged across the middle slopes here, and the crown fire opened up views across the Columbia River to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge as well as Mount Saint Helens and Mount Adams. You can expect downed snags in this section in addition to brushy growth in the understory. Once you cross the Green Point Ridge, you're out of the fire zone and can enjoy the lush old growth slope forest above Lindsey Creek before reaching little North Lake. Distance hikers can extend the outing by hiking on to Rainy Lake and Green Point Mountain and/or, if you have the legs, loop back to Herman Camp and take the Gorge Trail back to the Wyeth Trailhead.
The trail begins on an old road bed that heads south under Douglas-firs and bigleaf maples to the Gorge-Wyeth Trail Junction. To the right is a newer version of the Gorton Creek footbridge. Go left at the junction on the Wyeth Trail #411. The trail proceeds along the edge of a powerline corridor and drops past a connecting trail from the Wyeth Campground. Then you'll cross the powerline corridor and head into woods to cross Harphan Creek. The trail wends up under maples and Douglas-firs to pass the wilderness boundary. Look out for poison oak, which verges the trail for a considerable distance. You'll follow four long switchbacks up to a small forested bench; looking down you can see the rusting remains of a large but crumpled water tank. The path swings right here and traverses up into the crown fire zone.
There’s a switchback, and the trail crosses a small scree slope with larger Douglas-firs. Switchback twice at a rock outcrop, where you'll get views to the mouth of the Wind River and Home Valley. To the west, Nick Eaton Ridge and Indian Point are visible. Switchback and make a long traverse up to a stream, where the trail switchbacks again at some taller snags. Now views extend from Augspurger Mountain west to Greenleaf Peak, with Wind Mountain front and center. Bunker Hill stands sentinel in the Wind River Valley, with Mount Saint Helens behind. The path rounds the nose of a ridge and switchbacks three times at a monkey flower adorned creek. You'll make a boggy traverse across a lush, mossy spring and then cross a boulder slope that offers more views. The path rises to an open grassy point, where you may be able to see Mount Adams over the shoulder of the ridge to the east. There are more switchbacks in a forest of whitening snags and small meadows, where wild onions and glacier lilies bloom in spring. Thimbleberry, snow brush, and ocean spray overhang the tread, while wild hollyhock, lupine, and dogbane bloom among the dead trees in early summer. More views across the river come at another switchback. After nine more switchbacks, you'll find yourself on Green Point Ridge. The trail traverses on the level through a lush carpet of bracken, lupine, and tiger lilies among the snags.
The signed Wyeth-Green Point Ridge Trail Junction is right on the southern edge of the crown fire zone. Head left here to immediately enter a montane woodland of silver fir and noble fir with a carpet of bear-grass and huckleberry. The trail descends gradually, passing across a talus slope with a splendid view east to Mount Defiance. Keep dropping and cross a second talus slope with a view east. The path continues to drop into a lush slope forest of old-growth Douglas-fir, noble fir, silver fir, and western hemlock. Salmonberry and vine maple dominate the understory. The Wyeth Trail then turns uphill, and you'll wade through a dense thicket of thimbleberry before skirting a Sitka alder spring. Wind up the slope past big old-growth noble firs. The trail crosses two outlets of Lindsey Creek, which issues from the base of the earth and rock dam at North Lake. When you reach the Wyeth-North Lake Trail Junction, turn right past a campsite.
At the shore of North Lake, you'll get a view up to the Green Point Mountain ridge. A few yards to the right is the earth wall at the outlet, which like the ones at nearby Rainy Lake and Black Lake, was constructed in the early 20th century to raise the lake's water level to make it a log pond; flumes ran from these lakes down to the Stanley-Smith Lumber Mill at Kingsley. You can walk around the lake's eastern shore to find good campsites at inlets on the south shore. Two tie trails lead back from the North Lake Trail to the Wyeth Trail, which continues for about three-quarters of a mile to the Upper Mount Defiance Trailhead. You can take the first of these tie trails to rejoin the Wyeth Trail and turn left for the long return down the Gorge face to your vehicle.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Bonneville Dam, OR #429
- Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - West #428S
- Geo-Graphics: Trails of the Columbia Gorge
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
- Discover Your Northwest: Mt. Hood National Forest North
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Hood River Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- Open May through September; alternate trailhead in the off-season is the Wyeth HCRH Trailhead
- Campground with restrooms, information kiosk
- Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Wyeth Trail to North Lake Hike
- Wyeth Trail to North Lake 7-10-23
- Wyeth Trail North Lake
- Wyeth North Lake 2022/10/29
- North Lake
- Wyeth State Park to North Lake 7/20
- Wyeth TH to North Lake 5/2/16
- A Bluebird Day at North Lake 10-Feb-2013
- Wyeth/North Lake 1.8.12
- Wyeth to North Lake 1-23-11
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Wyeth Trail to North Lake Hike
- Wyeth to North Lake?
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hiking: Columbia River Gorge by Craig Romano
- Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- One Night Wilderness: Portland by Douglas Lorain
- Hiking the Columbia River Gorge by Russ Schneider
- 70 Virtual Hikes of the Columbia River Gorge by Northwest Hiker
- A Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood
- Columbia Gorge Hikes: 42 Scenic Hikes by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 35 Hiking Trails: Columbia River Gorge by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 70 Hiking Trails: Northern Oregon Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- 100 Oregon Hiking Trails by Don & Roberta Lowe
More Links
- Wyeth Trail #411 (USFS)
- North Lake Trail #423 (USFS)
- North Lake (Friends of the Columbia Gorge)
- Wyeth Trail To North, Rainy, and Black Lakes (wanderingyuncks)
- Wyeth (Washington Trails Association)
- North Lake via Wyeth Trail (The Outbound)
- North Lake Hike via Wyeth Ridge Trail Hike (Northwest Hiker)
- Portland, OR: Wyeth Trail to North Lake (Backpacker)
- North Lake via Wyeth Trail (Gaia GPS)
- Two Columbia River Gorge Trails Damaged by the Eagle Creek Fire Have Reopened (Willamette Week)
Contributors
- bobcat (creator)