Hiker/Biker
Campground
Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Eagle Creek Fire Area Closure - CRGNSA and Mt. Hood
Agency alert covering Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area · Order 06-22-01-26-04 · USFS · 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.
Sams Walker is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, managed by the Forest Service. The route is about 1.2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 12 feet, so it's a gentle walk rather than a climb. The trail starts at about 51 feet and reaches a high point of 59 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.39 miles in, where the grade reaches 2 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Bonneville Dam weather station show July and August highs around 79 to 80°F, with only four or five wet days a month. Winter is much wetter, with about 20 to 22 wet days a month from November through January. The Sams Walker Loop lies just 0.2 miles away, and the Doetsch Walking Path is about 1.5 miles off. Climbers can head to Columbia Pearl, about 1.8 miles away, and paddlers will find Oneonta Creek roughly 2.9 miles from the trail.
Hiker/Biker
Campground
If it rainsIan Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsPlaces © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)
More in Mount Hood VillagesNot on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best months: June–September. 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.
Jan
43° / 34°
21 wet · 2 snow
Feb
47° / 36°
18 wet · 1 snow
Mar
53° / 38°
20 wet
Apr
59° / 42°
18 wet
May
67° / 48°
15 wet
Jun
72° / 52°
11 wet
Jul
79° / 57°
5 wet
Aug
80° / 57°
4 wet
Sep
74° / 53°
8 wet
Oct
62° / 47°
15 wet
Nov
50° / 40°
20 wet
Dec
42° / 35°
22 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bonneville Dam, OR, 5.1 mi away at 62 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Sams Walker Loop
Next door
0.46-mile loop trail in Oregon, 0.46 miles, loop.
Equestrian Trail
~4 min drive
4.3-mile out-and-back equestrian trail in Washington with 1,659 ft elevation gain
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Nesmith Point
~4 min drive
7.84-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,388 ft gain.
Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Doetsch Walking Path
~3 min drive
1.14-mile loop trail in Oregon with 189 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Ian Sane, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail
~5 min drive
1.22-mile out-and-back trail with 1,325 ft gain in Oregon.
West Hardy Ridge Trail
~5 min drive
4.02-mile out-and-back hike in Washington with 3,052 ft gain and 2,552 ft max elevation.
Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Horsetail Falls
~3 min drive
Short out-and-back hike to a dramatic 176-foot waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge.
Franklin Ridge
~6 min drive
4.40-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,321 ft elevation gain.
Photo: OregonDOT, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Horsetail Creek
~5 min drive
9.95-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 635 ft gain and 2,815 ft loss.
Photo: mjfmjfmjf, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)River to Rock Trail
~3 min drive
1.54-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 411 ft of elevation gain.