Oregon · Hiking · Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness · Near Trout Lake

Mt Defiance

Mt DefiancePhoto: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
4.4 mi
round trip
2,957 ft
climb
3,603 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Oct
best months

Is Mt Defiance open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

As of · Source: USFS · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Mt Defiance is a 4.4-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The trail starts at about 870 feet and climbs to 3,603 feet, with a total gain of 2,957 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, around 0.5 miles in, where the grade reaches 52 percent. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Snowden, Washington, show July and August highs around 79°F with lows near 49°F. That station sits about 1,200 feet lower than the summit, so temperatures on top run cooler. The trip takes about three hours. Starvation Ridge and Starvation Ridge Trail #414 are both within a mile. Viento Wall, a climbing area, is about 1.6 miles away, and Wyeth Campground is about 3 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    South Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 2.3 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsJmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 8.2 mi from Trout Lake

    Aviation and automobile museum in Oregon, United States

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Jmasterson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Trout Lake

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Mt Defiance

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      38° / 25°

    2. Feb

      42° / 26°

    3. Mar

      48° / 30°

    4. Apr

      55° / 35°

    5. May

      63° / 40°

    6. Jun

      68° / 44°

    7. Jul

      79° / 49°

    8. Aug

      79° / 49°

    9. Sep

      72° / 45°

    10. Oct

      58° / 37°

    11. Nov

      45° / 31°

    12. Dec

      36° / 25°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Snowden, WA, 19.6 mi away at 2,415 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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STARVATION RIDGE

Next door

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Starvation Ridge Cutoff Trail #414B

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WyethPhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~3 min drive

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Gorge Trail #400Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Old Loggers' TrailPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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