Little Beacon Rock Trail

October 13, 9:16 AMPortland Hiking ExaminerMark McCarron-Fraser

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Little Beacon Rock (copyright Mark McCarron-Fraser, 2009)

This is a great short trail, similar to the more famous Beacon Rock trail, but a lot less crowded.

Take SR 14 to Beacon Rock State Park. Turn uphill at the sign to the campgrounds, just across the highway from Beacon Rock. Drive to the first parking lot.

Start up the Hamilton Mountain trail. This trailhead leads to many of the trails in the park. The beginning is fairly steep. Be sure to stay on the trail. There are some older trails and an old road that branch off. You hike through beautiful dense cedar forest. Shortly, the forest gives way to open grass lands. Wild flowers should be abundant here in season.

A well maintained trail forks sharply to your left. There is no sign here, but this is the Little Beacon Rock trail. Walk along the mostly flat ridge top, be sure to enjoy the views of Hamilton Mountain and the Bonneville Dam. The trail winds back to your right and into the forest again. A few more turns brings you to another well marked fork. Stay on to Little Beacon Rock.

The rock is another volcanic neck. Huge piles of shattered basalt litter the landscape. The trail takes you to a saddle between to rock pinnacles. From here you look straight across to the top of Beacon Rock and great views of the gorge.